Death's Reward
by sphinxykin
Summary: Endless worlds ruled by Fate, and Harry chose Fate every time. What if once, he chose Death? It was time for Harry to live in a world of Death's choosing, where Death ruled and no Fate lingered. Death took him in their hands and sent him to one such place. This was Death's reward. Harry reborn as Tsuna's little sister.
1. Prologue

**Summary:**

Endless worlds ruled by Fate, and Harry chose Fate every time. What if once, he chose Death? It was time for Harry to live in a world of Death's choosing, where Death ruled and no Fate lingered. Death took him in their hands and sent him to one such place. This was Death's reward. Harry reborn as Tsuna's little sister.

 **Notes:**

I'm even LESS than an amateur writer, and am only doing this for fun in my spare time. Flames will be ignored so why even bother?

Be prepared for random changing of tenses, typos and grammar and punctuation mistakes. I anticipate there will also be plenty of run-on sentences. If that offends your sensibilities then don't read my stuff. Also, I won't be sticking to canon timelines accurately or at all. It's been a while since I've seen or read most of the fandoms I follow so I'm working off my memory which is often times like that of a goldfish. When I can't remember what actually happened I'll likely be making stuff up instead of researching. If that bothers you, then shoo.

 **Prologue:**

Death and Fate. Two great nameless, faceless entities that governed the known and unknown universes and all their possible iterations alike. Some they ruled over equally, some they didn't, and some one or both of them forsook altogether. The possibilities were endless, but some outcomes were woven so tightly into the fabric of reality that they almost never differed. In the case of the worlds which housed Harry Potter after Harry Potter, worlds which just so happened to be _mostly_ dominated by Fate, it was supposed to go like this:

In these worlds, Harry Potter was tied to both Fate and Death. Fate through prophecy and Death through deed. The prophecy once uttered never failed to tie him to Fate, and his unintentional collection of the Hallows never failed to tie him to Death. In these worlds, the entities of immeasurable power that were tied intrinsically to his being would vie for dominance. Fate granted him Luck, and so expected to be chosen over Death, whose power was weak here. Death did what it could, and lent him their power, and so hoped to be chosen over Fate.

In these worlds, though he didn't know it, Harry Potter carelessly tossed Death aside over and over. Without fail he chose to return to life from inside that train station, and step back onto the path Fate started him on. Harry Potter would then choose to abandon the Hallows that caused him what he thought was nothing but misery, unknowingly and ironically choosing to follow Fate completely and utterly. He would sever his weak tie to Death, but he did so with no regrets. In the end, he fulfilled his Fate and went on to reap Fate's reward, living many happy years before dying of old age to reunite with those he'd lost.

But, in one world, just one, something went… differently. When Harry Potter died in this world, he embraced Death in that train station with open arms. He chose not to step back onto the path Fate created for him. There was no discernable reason, except that perhaps a stitch in the fabric of reality had come loose. In the end, the reason did not matter, only the result. In this world, Death was the one that gained dominion over one Harry James Potter, and Fate was the one cast-off and rejected. The hands of Fate trembled, and Death gained a foothold. In this one world, Harry Potter chose Death over Fate, and that made all the difference.

•••

Harry Potter did not come back to life. The newspapers hailed him a hero. His name would be remembered for generations, among the general masses as The Savior, among his comrades as Their Leader, among his friends and their descendants as Just Harry. He would be remembered for his great deeds, for his great compassion, and for his great sacrifice. In this world, there was no Fate's reward for one Harry Potter. Harry Potter died young, cold and alone, but with a peaceful smile on his face. Choosing Death cost Harry Potter his future, his life and his happiness. It would have ended there, in tragedy, but for one thing…

Death had its own reward to bestow.

Death gathered the soul of Harry Potter in its hands, and sent him to a place where Death reigned supreme. Harry Potter would live again, not on the path of Fate as endless Harrys had before him, but Harry Potter would live…

With his Dying Will.


	2. Sorako

**Chapter 1: Sorako**

Nana had always wanted a girl. Oh, she loved her little Tsu-kun more than life itself, and wouldn't trade her beloved child for all the little girls in the world, but there was something in her that longed for a baby girl to call her own. She often daydreamed of coming home with a tiny baby wrapped in a powder pink blanket, growing into a toddler toddling around in little floofy dresses with little bows in her hair, who wanted to grow up to be just like her mama. Nana would be the happiest mother in the world if she had both her little boy and a darling baby girl to dote on. But Iemitsu was always so busy and stressed even during the rare times he could come home from working hard at his construction company to visit. She could never work up the courage to bring up the subject of a second child. She contented herself with her boy and moved on with her life, letting the dream die.

So it was with great surprise that one day, several months and many days of vomiting her breakfast up after her darling husband's latest visit, that she stared at a pregnancy test in her trembling hand and found it positive. The dream resurrected itself with a vengeance. She was instructed to only call her husband on having very important or serious news, but she felt if there was any occasion to call, it would be this! She was answered by a very worried sounding, out of breath husband. There were loud noises in the background though she couldn't discern what they were, but that wasn't important, what was important was –

"Iemitsu, I'm pregnant again!" She gushed, utterly oblivious to the chaos on the other end of the line.

•••

Iemitsu made it back for the birth of his daughter, barely. Nana, sweaty and disheveled and who had recently been screaming bloody murder due to giving birth, was now sparkling with a dreamy, satisfied look in her soft brown eyes as she gazed at the baby girl in her arms. Along with the birth of his son, it would become one of Iemitsu's most treasured memories. The Young Lion of the Vongola would later swear that no, he did not cry, something must have just gotten in his eye. Er. Both eyes. At the same time.

He stuck around long enough to see his adorable little girl open her eyes, and promptly knew exactly what her name should be. Nana, though confused because her daughter's eyes were not _blue_ like the sky - they were an ethereal glimmering orange that must have come from Iemitsu's side of the family – gamely went along with the name Sorako anyway.

Unfortunately, Iemitsu had to leave his young wife and son and infant daughter shortly after the birth to return to Italy. Before he returned however, his Boss came to meet his family, that he showcased and bragged on and on about like the proud papa he was. The visit went well, even though his daughter didn't do much other than sleep and cry when she needed something. It was going so well in fact, that he was shocked to his core when it all went pear shaped.

In the end his Boss had to seal his son's powerful, untrained flames, and though his Intuition screamed at him that this was a bad idea, his Boss was his Boss and he did not protest. He would later regret this decision with the whole of his heart, but for now he was young and foolish and put the wellbeing of his famiglia above that of his family. It wouldn't be the first time.

So, he left, with a heavy heart. He would miss his family dearly and would be sorely missed in turn, but he consoled himself with the fact that he was keeping them safe and that Nana had the children to keep her company and keep her life bright and happy. He would regret that later, too.

•••

Sorako was just an infant when she woke up in a panic, her little heart beating out of her chest and a twisted feeling of _wrongwrongwrong_ whistling shrill through her mind. Immediately she wailed and wailed. It was too much for little Sorako to handle, and much earlier than it should have happened, something in her, that was her-not-her was roused from it's deep slumber and – _clicked_ into place. Instead of assimilating the memories of her past life gently and seamlessly over time, it hit her all at once and she passed out just as Nana rushed into the room to attend to her beautiful little Sora-chan.

So it was that Sorako remembered her life as Harry Potter, and thus began her new life in a new world.

•••

Sorako was a bit of an odd child, Nana thought. Of course she didn't love her any less for it, but she didn't develop like Tsuna had at all. She was such a mature, smart little independent thing. Her eyes gleamed with an intelligence far beyond her years, and she'd walked and talked long before most babies should have. She started school early and skipped year after year, and knew things she shouldn't have before she'd been taught. Nana remembered fondly teaching little Sora-chan to read and write – oh she'd picked it up remarkably fast, but they were some of the only things Nana could remember actually having to teach her. Honestly, that child, she must have read so many books to know some of the things she does, that could be the only explanation. Why, she'd woken up one morning to a perfectly cooked egg breakfast for Tsuna and her, and only after panicking at the thought of her little girl handling a hot stove did she think to wonder where little Sora-chan learned to cook it.

Things like this happened all the time as she was growing up, and Nana finally just accepted them as a part of her sweet daughter. She didn't get the kind of daughter she'd dreamt of long ago, but this one, she was sure, was better than any daydream could have been. She still got to dress Sorako up to her heart's content, and seeing the startling amount of sheer love shining from those unique eyes, well, she was happy. She had her clumsy little teenage boy and her darling little girl and though she missed her husband fiercely and cried herself to sleep sometimes, her life was good.

•••

Tsuna loved his little sister since the day he first saw her. He loved her more than anybody except maybe his mama. He thought when he was little that he'd take care of her and be the best big brother in the world. She'd been boring at first when she'd only sleep and cry, but his mama had assured him that she would be more fun later and after his idiot father and that creepy old man had visited when he was five, she was.

She couldn't do much but she stopped crying so much and she'd hold his tiny finger in her even tinier, pudgy little hands and make sweet little cooing noises at him. Her first word was "Tsu" and he remembered puffing his chest out with pride even while his mama gasped in manic delight somewhere behind him.

As both he and she got older he realized that he wasn't the best brother, he probably wasn't even a _good_ brother. She was smarter than him, and better than him at almost everything except video games but he didn't think that counted since her hands were too tiny to properly grip the remote. She would probably beat him at those too once she was bigger. She was eight and already above him in school, and she was the only reason he wasn't failing his classes, because she would sit him down and painstakingly go over his homework with him until he understood it. Even then he was only able to barely keep up with the class, but he tried hard because he wanted to make his sister happy and she was always happy when he succeeded.

The only thing he'd ever seemed to be able to do for her was teach her how to… and it sounded weird even in his head… be part of a family. Aside from that no-account no-show father of theirs, they had a loving mama and a deep sibling bond. And even though he could tell Sora-chan loved him and mama with all her heart, she never seemed to know how to express it until _he_ taught her. That's the only thing he'd ever been able to do that he was really proud of.

He remembered how she would always stiffen when he or mama gave her a hug or patted her shiny blonde hair or gave her a kiss on the cheek. Sometimes she would flinch but most times she would freeze like a deer caught in headlights, like she didn't know what to do. He taught her how to give the best hugs and cuddles and kisses. And sometimes when she had nightmares, which was too often for his tastes, he would be the only thing that could calm her down. Even though he resented her a little – just a little! – for being so much better than him, he still loved her more than anything and hated to see his sister cry. So he would wipe away her tears and tell her stories from his manga and try to make her laugh and when she smiled so brightly at him afterward, well, he didn't feel like Dame-Tsuna then.

•••

Sorako remembered her past life with heartbreaking clarity, and it wasn't until she experienced the love of a family for the first time that she truly realized what a tragedy her past life had been. She'd mourned for a time for that life and those in it, especially when she came to the conclusion that this was a different, almost magic-less world entirely.

There hadn't been much to do as an infant besides observe and learn and so she would meditate and work on her organizing her mind. The first time she tried to reach for her magical core she'd experienced a shock. It simply… wasn't there. In it's place was something entirely different, something warm and welcoming and knowing. It was this knowing, this strange insight that told her she would never see her old world again. This was a new place, a different place. She wouldn't be able to grow up and visit England and find her friends. And she wouldn't be going to Hogwarts, her first ever home.

It was hard for her to accept at first, but she had _some_ kind of magic if not the kind she was used to. What really made her move on and accept this new life was the love of her mother and brother – she had a family! A family that loved her and cared for her and would never hurt her. She knew she had a father too, but she'd never met him and aside from some postcards never heard from him either. Whoever the man was, he was no James Potter, and after seeing the contempt her brother had for him and hearing her mother crying of loneliness at night, she began to hate him just a little bit.

It was startling to live in a new world, in a new country with a different culture and language and with a different kind of special power. She'd at first wondered if she was a freak again, but her brother had it too, she could feel a muted, almost strangled warmth coming from inside him. She'd been trying to chip away at whatever was keeping it from reaching for her as she reached for him, but as she had no idea what it was, or how to fix it, she had very little luck.

She didn't know what this flickering warmth she and Tsuna-nii had meant, and if it would take a turn for the dangerous just as the magical world had, so she did whatever she could to learn and excel and become strong. If danger was coming, and that little voice that knew things whispered in the back of her mind – _it was_ – then she would be prepared to protect her family.


	3. Reborn

**Chapter 2: Reborn**

Reborn was not thrilled to take on the job of home-tutor to another no-good student. The files on Tsunayoshi were clear – he was lazy, lacked ambition, and was unremarkable in every way, not to mention had grown up as a civilian. But the Ninth's children were either dead or ineligible to inherit and the Sawada boy – gods he couldn't believe that idiot Iemitsu had managed to procreate. Twice! – was the only remaining candidate, aside from his younger sister, Sorako. Honestly, she was clearly the better choice, she was a prodigy even, but the mafia was not kind to women nor did he get a say in who the Ninth chose of the two. The man was old-fashioned and set in his ways. One would think his mother had not been the great mafia Donna she was talking to the somewhat chauvinistic man.

But he was allied to the Vongola and this is what he must do.

He leaves the flyer in the mailbox and waits for the good-hearted but airheaded Nana Sawada to call.

•••

It is simply by chance that Sorako misses the hitman's colorful entrance into her brother's life. She is attending her extracurricular martial arts and cannot make it to dinner that night. When she finally does get home it is late and she is bone-tired as she trudges through the door. Her brother must already be asleep.

It is as she takes her first step into the house that she feels it. A monster presence unlike anything she's felt before, and she's met Hibari Kyoya. This presence dwarfs that of the prefect to such an extent that she is shocked motionless. What is this in her house?! She can feel it centered right where Tsuna is –

"Tsuna," she whispers in horror, snapping out of her stupor. What is this monster doing near her brother! She sprints up the stairs taking two at a time and stops in front of her brother's door cautiously. She breathes deeply and cracks open the door to see her brother snoring away on his bean bag chair and a _baby_ sleeping in his bed. The source of the monster aura. She shudders suddenly because he is _notababy_ and he is _dangerbloodmurderpower_ but he is not dangerous to her or her brother or her mother, she knows with a sudden certainty that she almost hesitates to believe. But her strange insight has never been wrong before and so she trusts it this time too.

Her warmth surges unexpectedly inside her as she analyzes the not-baby and she feels he is _sadlonelybroken_ and she almost can't tamp it back down. But she has the will power to throw off the Imperius curse like water, she can certainly control her own power. She shuts the door and walks to her room on shaky legs, collapsing in a heap on her bed.

Why… did her warmth want to reach for this dangerous person so desperately?

She is surprised she gets any sleep that night but she does. In fact, she sleeps so long that she misses breakfast and is much later than usual in getting ready. She makes it outside in just enough time to see the back of Sasagawa Kyoko in the distance and to hear a gunshot.

It's the not-baby! And he's holding a gun… he's shot her brother!

"Tsuna!" She screams desperately, and her warmth pours out of her like a raging flood. All at once she is hyper focused and there is fire on her hands and flickering in the edges of her vision and her eyes are gleaming with untold power.

It might have gone differently… if she wasn't so in tune with her power, if she wasn't so used to utilizing magic from a previous life, if she wasn't slammed headfirst into Hyper Dying Will Mode through sheer desperation and worry for her brother… she might have never sensed what was really happening. But crystal clear focus and sudden deadly calm settles around her and she does see.

She sees Tsuna run off, clearly uninjured though for some reason in only his underwear. There is no blood, no gunshot wound. It takes microseconds to process this, and then she feels it… the chokehold on her brother's warmth evaporating into nothing. She can finally feel him in his entirety for the first time in her life and she _knows_ with absolute certainty that this not-baby has just freed her brother's very _soul._

Her gaze snaps to the not-baby, and this time she doesn't stop her warmth from reaching. It meets a towering wall of power and they twine with the force of a hurricane. She feels… more whole than she's ever felt and as suddenly as it came the fire dies down and she is normal once again. She looks at the not-baby and smiles a soft gentle smile because he is hers now and she will take care of him and he will never be alone and broken again and, and – her eyes roll back in her head as she loses consciousness.

•••

Reborn does not get a chance to meet the littlest Sawada spawn the first night he stays at the Sawada residence. She is off doing one of her many extracurricular activities, Nana tells him with a swell of pride during dinner. So he inwardly shrugs and takes some sadistic glee in stealing the older brat's food, telling him of his future as a mafia boss, and stealing his bed.

He wakes briefly to a creaking door in the night but dismisses the girl as a threat immediately as she checks on her brother. He wakes the boy up in the morning with a traditional Vongola method – this time, slight electrocution. The surprised "Hieeeee!" is music to his ears.

He accompanies Tsuna on his walk to school and sees his first opportunity to use a dying will bullet after the school idol, and Tsuna's obvious crush, skips merrily away while the brat stutters like a lovesick fool.

"Ho, so you have the hots for the Sasagawa girl?" he says with a smirk.

"W-what! No!" the boy squeaks, his face turning an even deeper shade of red, if that were possible.

He transforms Leon into his gun form and casually points it at Tsuna, seeing the boy rapidly pale and back-paddle.

"Well then, go confess to her with your Dying Will!" _Bang!_ And of course he never misses. Watching Tsuna take off in only his underwear was amusing, or would have been if he didn't hear a sudden desperate scream.

He'd been peripherally aware of the girl ever since she'd shown up but wasn't concerned with coddling the child, she'd see Tsuna was fine soon enough. Except.

As she screamed he felt some of the most powerful, pure sky flames he'd _ever_ felt rush from her in a rage. He'd turned quickly in shock, in just enough time to see _eight year old_ Sawada Sorako enter _Hyper Dying Will Mode._

What.

He saw as calm settled around her, and could see immediately when she ascertained her brother's well-being and became tranquil, the rage in her flames settled and they became still. Then her eyes shot to him and – her flames surged and without his permission, he couldn't stop them even if he'd wanted to, _his_ flames _reached_ and he was _home._

He didn't have even a moment to bask in his Harmony, in the sudden elation and acceptance and wholeness and peace he felt, as something dark and scarred and festering in him healed, before the flames settled and she smiled at him. And then her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she – _his_ _sky_ – fell.

He was there immediately, he wasn't able to catch her – damn this cursed infantile body, but he stopped her head from hitting the ground. He lowered himself to the ground and placed her head in his lap, tiny fingers laced through her silky blonde hair. He couldn't help but stare in amazement for a moment and he didn't know what he was more amazed about. A civilian child entering Hyper Dying Will Mode? _Him_ , harmonizing? A child having flames powerful enough to harmonize with the strongest sun in the mafia? Him _, harmonizing?_

But he wasn't the World's Greatest for nothing and he got his priorities together in short order. He needed to take care of his sky, at this age and with no training or prior experience Hyper Dying Will Mode could easily cause flame exhaustion and have detrimental effects on the body. He discarded his plan of following Dame-Tsuna to school immediately and focused on getting Sorako into the house.

Reborn was a sun, so he was well versed in healing should he come upon an occasion where it was necessary. Usually, he would heal himself, after a particularly difficult hit or an ambush or a spar with Fon – the man was a powerhouse and if he got in close enough his hand to hand skills could prove… unfavorable. But he was well able to heal others if he so chose. Once Sorako was safely tucked in her bed and he'd shooed away a worried but oblivious Nana, he healed the damage he could already feel spreading through his sky's fragile little body. He even healed the tiny scratches she got from her fall to the pavement even though he normally wouldn't bother. He was already going soft and he didn't even care.

However, there was nothing he could do for flame exhaustion, that would have to heal on it's own or her flames would have to be augmented by another sky, which was out of the question. Her brother had no training in that area – that would change, he thought with a dark smirk – and would be more likely to harm her than help her. And of the skies he trusted not to exploit her, of which there were very, very few, he was not going to alert the mafia to his new Guardian bond and paint a target on her back so soon. So, he waited.

It took three days for her to wake up, and he was at the end of his patience. Not with her, but with his _worry_. He wanted her healthy and hale and he wanted it _now_. This waiting grated on his frayed and frazzled nerves like so much sandpaper. He took it out on Dame-Tsuna every time the boy dared infringe on her space but it wasn't enough stress relief under the circumstances. He even almost snapped at Nana, who apparently thought his worried hovering at her bedside was adorable once she was reassured that Sorako would be alright.

But finally, finally, she did wake up. And thankfully it was when that idiot boy was at school.

•••

She went from asleep to completely awake as she always had since both her time with the Dursleys and from her time living with the dangers of the war. The habit had followed her into this life. She noticed immediately that she felt warm and content like she never had before and blinked at the ceiling bemusedly. She could feel the monster presence of power to her immediate right but couldn't register it as a threat no matter how much a sane person would have. She turned her head and saw the not-baby staring at her intently, with fathomless deep black eyes that glinted with concern.

"Ciaossu, I'm Reborn." He said, tipping his fedora in her direction.

She didn't know what it was but she could feel the bond between them, so she set aside all her previous concerns and simply smiled.

"I'm Sorako. It's nice to meet you Reborn-san." She said, and sat up against her pillows.

"Hm, call me Reborn, Sora-hime." Ah, how did he know what they called her at school? She was embarrassed but somehow it didn't bother her as much as it should've.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, whatever this was that was between them not needing such things as words. But, as Harry she'd always been too curious for her own good and coupled with the childlike curiosity of Sorako she couldn't help but ask,

"Ne, Reborn," she started and he tilted his head in question with a "Hm?"

"What is this?" she asked softly, and gently wrapped her warmth around the bond. Something in her purred and she watched as Reborn relaxed further, closing his eyes for a moment with a pleased hum.

•••

Reborn felt as sky flames wrapped around the very core of his being, and it was the most peaceful thing he'd ever felt. He'd never known… even as he'd wished for Harmony throughout his youth, before finally giving up and becoming the dark and jaded man he was, he'd never known it would be like this.

He opened his eyes to see his little sky staring at him curiously, patiently awaiting an answer. This… is where it got complicated. How to explain flames, the mafia, Vongola, skies and Guardian bonds to an innocent civilian eight year old? But, he wouldn't lie to his sky, so he would simply have to try his best. His best, of course, was _the_ best, but even for him this was rather complicated. She was a prodigy though, and he was sure _his_ sky would be able to keep up.

"To answer that, I must first tell you this. You, and your brother, are descendants of the first Boss of the Vongola family. The Vongola is a mafia famiglia…." And so he told her, and she listened. He was gratified by her complete attention, and though she did have questions, they were thoughtful, intelligent ones. She easily grasped concepts people twice her age would never be able to. When it came time to tell her of his involvement in the mafia, he ruthlessly pushed down his nerves. Would such an innocent girl reject him, dirty and bloodstained as he was?

"You're a hitman?" She asked, and her voice was carefully void of inflection. He paused,

"Yes."

"Who do you kill?" What a question to hear from a little girl. His eyebrows rose slightly, but he bluntly told her the truth,

"Criminals," he said, "Murderers. Rapists. Human traffickers. Drug dealers. And any of those who would kill me first. Any of those who would harm _you_."

He could see her think for a moment, and held his breath. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision and nodded slightly to herself. She reached over and took his hand – miracle of miracles that he would let someone do such a thing – and spoke assuredly.

"You're my Guardian. You're my family now. I will always accept you."

He clenched his teeth to keep his traitorous eyes from forming tears. She was indeed a wonder.


	4. Fon

**Chapter 3: Fon**

Sorako sat alone in her room and ruminated. The mafia. Flames. Guardians. Her brother, an heir to a bloody throne. So this was the world she now lived in, Sorako thought. Darker and perhaps more grim than a world of magic. And Reborn. Her… sun. A hitman. The World's _Greatest_ Hitman. If she hadn't remembered her past life, and only had the memories and feelings of the child that she was, she would never be able to accept it. Had she not known that truly there were people the world was better off without, she may have lost her Guardian. But she did know, and she would accept him and all he was, because he was hers.

Reborn had had to go to Tsuna, he'd been neglecting his duties, he'd said. She'd felt guilty, but he'd assured her he'd been right where he'd wanted to be. He'd smiled at her and squeezed her hand and it had softened his edges. "I will not leave you alone, il mio cielo, I've called in a favor and a trusted comrade will be here to look after you when I cannot. His name is Fon."

And so she'd promised not to leave the house until this Fon arrived; he had apparently been traveling while she'd been unconscious and was due to arrive today. In the mean time, thankful her waking had fallen on a weekend, she caught up on the school work she'd missed that a classmate had been kind enough to drop off.

•••

It was not everyday that the World's Greatest Hitman asked for a favor, Fon mused as he headed toward Reborn's current residence. Ah yes, Reborn was staying with the family of the Young Lion currently, tutoring the would-be Decimo of the Vongola. Fon was here to guard the youngest Sawada child, a little girl named Sorako, a supposed genius. For what reason Reborn had asked this of him, he could not ascertain. He looked forward to finding out.

He'd arrived late into the evening and Nana Sawada let him in; she'd been warned of one of "Reborn-chan's" 'friends' coming to visit. He was used to being treated as an infant by now, but still twitched as Nana called him "Fon-chan" and pinched his cheek.

"Reborn-chan is upstairs with Tsuna-kun, Fon-chan. Run along and I'll prepare you boys some snacks," and with that Nana headed into the kitchen, obliviously giving one of the world's deadliest men free run of the house.

"Ah. I can see why protection may be necessary," Fon murmured to his companion, Lichi. He headed up the stairs and passed by the room where Reborn was torturing yet another pupil. The hitman greeted him with a nod, which Fon returned before continuing to Sawada Sorako's bedroom. Pleasantries could be had later, he did have a job to do.

Except. As he entered the room through the open door with a knock, his eyes met with the girl's and suddenly he felt the most intense sky attraction he'd ever felt, he could almost _see_ the presence of her flames they were so potent. She reached for him and he had no desire to resist. His flames poured from him as if he were a sieve and intertwined with hers, and had he not been so caught up in the miracle that was him harmonizing, the feeling of home and peace and acceptance, he would have noticed Reborn appear, looking frantic and betrayed. He did notice the widening of Sorako's eyes just as he felt the barrel of a gun against his temple.

"What are you doing, _Fon_?" Reborn hissed, seething with sun flames. This was not a good situation, Fon thought. He had never before truly angered his friend, but he knew that to deescalate Reborn from his current temper would take some doing. After all, this did not look good, from an outsider's perspective. A wall of storm flames like this would either indicate a bond or would look as if they were threatening the well-being of the little girl Reborn wanted to protect. What were the chances that Fon would bond with a little girl he hadn't even met? What were the chances that Fon, Fon who resisted every sky that ever reached for him, would bond so suddenly? He reigned his flames in slowly, feeling Reborn tremble with rage.

The problem was taken care of for him.

"Reborn!" Sorako shouted in alarm, scrambling up from her bed.

"Stay where you are Sora-hime." Reborn ordered, protective instincts nearly overwhelming his sense.

"Reborn! He's-he's my Guardian!" Sorako cried, and though it was an entirely inappropriate occasion for Fon to feel pleased, as his life was endangered, he was still immeasurably gratified hearing his… his _sky_ say that.

"What." Reborn stilled, gun still held to Fon's temple.

Fon took a chance and spoke "It appears I have bonded with this girl, Reborn."

It took a few moments, but Reborn took a deep breath and slowly lowered his gun, stepping back from Fon and closer to Sorako. He was tense as a bow-string and had not yet put his gun away. He eyed Fon intently, and only relaxed when Sorako tentatively walked forward and grasped his hand.

"He's my Guardian, Reborn, it's okay." She said.

•••

When Reborn called Fon for a favor, it was a calculated move on his part. There are only so many he can trust with Sorako's protection even if they weren't bonded, but as she is his sky the only one he would trust is Fon.

He would have Fon be her guard during the times that he had to teach Dame-Tsuna. Although, even the trust he had for Fon had its limits. He would not be telling him of the bond he had with Sorako. To think the world's strongest sun would bond with a little civilian girl was laughable, it would be safer to let Fon draw his own conclusions.

When Fon arrived, they acknowledged each other briefly before he went back to torturing Tsuna. Sorako was expecting him, but he would introduce them properly once he caught up on Tsuna's training regimen.

But then he felt it – a tidal wave of storm flames and his thought process went lightening quick even as he rushed to Sorako's room. _I made a mistake. I've been betrayed. Sora-hime is in danger._ And _I'll kill him._

He came close to pulling the trigger without any hesitation. So very close. But the fact that he didn't want to expose Sorako to that kind of murder first hand stayed his hand. Later, he would be glad. To let his sky experience the kind of pain that comes with losing a Guardian would be the height of cruelty.

As it was, it appeared he'd been mistaken. Because the untamable storm had not been attacking, but had instead bonded. To his sky.

Sorako was the one that calmed him down. He held her hand and something inside him trembled as the fear of losing her gradually fell away. He sheathed his gun. She gently wrapped her flames around his and he could finally breathe. As he calmed, he looked at Fon.

Fon looked as serene as he ever did, not even visibly affected from the close call on his life. Eye of the storm indeed. But there was a wonder in his eyes that Reborn knew all too well, and finally Reborn smirked. Looks like he wouldn't have to worry about Fon after all.

"Perhaps we could use some introductions," Reborn said.

"Sora-hime, this is Fon. Fon, this is Sora-hime. Our sky."

•••

Fon was unaccustomed to the flurry of emotions he was currently feeling. Usually he found his center quite easily, but today was vying for the spot of the most shocking day of his life. First, to acquire his very own sky, then to find that Reborn – _Reborn_ – had bonded with her also.

To have a fellow Guardian as strong and capable as Reborn was, was reassuring in itself, not even counting the fact that Fon considered Reborn a friend. He just never expected there would be someone who could bond with the hitman, nor did he realize until he saw the tender look in Reborn's eyes, how much the hitman had longed for Harmony. Just as Fon had.

Abruptly, the older Sawada child burst into the room.

"Reborn, what's going on, why did you suddenly run off – hieeee, why are you holding Sora-chan's hand!?" Tsuna wailed.

The said girl giggled and any lingering tension in the room melted. Reborn transformed Leon into a mallet and waved it threateningly in Tsuna's direction, making Tsuna noticeably flinch.

"Why aren't you working on your homework, Dame-Tsuna?"

"Tsuna-nii, Reborn is right, you should finish your work if you want to get a good grade,"

Tsuna's eyes softened as they landed on his little sister. "Alright Sora-chan, I'll be sure to pass." He went back to his room none-the-wiser that his sister had obviously just manipulated him into leaving the room. Hm, must have gotten that from his mother, Fon thought.

"Why don't I _help_ him" Reborn muttered with a grimace. He reluctantly drew away from their sky, and gave Fon a meaningful look.

So, Reborn was willing to give Fon a chance to get to know their sky. How very unlike him, Fon thought, but appreciated it nonetheless. He nodded and Reborn left the room. Shortly thereafter there were bangs and some pitiful wailing that could be heard through the walls. Fon snorted.

"He _is_ a bit _enthusiastic_ in his tutoring," a soft lilting voice said, laced with good humor.

Fon turned back to Sawada Sorako, standing in the middle of her room smiling. When he didn't say anything right away she started to look slightly uncertain of herself and Fon couldn't have that.

He stepped forward and bowed lightly, "Sora-hime, was it?"

Sorako laughed, embarrassed. "That's what they call me in school, Reborn just kind of picked it up," she mumbled.

"Hm, it suits you. Sora-hime." Fon said with a smile. The embarrassment caused Sorako to flush and Fon thought it was possibly one of the cutest things he'd ever seen. He may have to tease little Sora-hime a bit more sometime.

•••

Fon is different from Reborn but also the same. Both were lonely and broken and scarred and this saddens Sorako deeply. She is glad that they are hers now, because she will take care of them and make it so they never have to feel that way again.

She and Fon end up settled on her bed, after much prodding from Sorako. She uses every bit of childish charm she has to wrangle Fon into what amounts to a cuddle. When Reborn is finished with Tsuna for the night, he comes back to Sorako's room and at first just stares. The normally dignified Fon is staring at him with death in his eyes so Reborn smothers his smirk and does not say anything. However, he does shamelessly jump onto the bed to cuddle Sorako on her other side because he will not be left out. Sorako sees Fon roll his eyes from the corner of her eye.

They idly chit chat, Reborn and Fon telling her some humorous anecdotes from missions they'd been on together, nothing too bloody or dark. Sorako tells them of growing up with her oblivious mother and her clumsy brother and though it is not nearly as exciting as what they have to share it is still of great interest to both hitmen. This is a chance to learn more about their sky after all.

Things get a little more nonsensical the more tired she gets, and she finally decides to go to sleep after she has told them of her deep hatred of onions, "They are _disgusting,_ " much to their amusement.

They are both awake before her the next morning – and so is Tsuna due to Reborn's creative waking methods – she was never an early riser if given a choice. But they wait for her at the entrance to the house to walk her (and Tsuna) to school like the gentlemen they are. She finds it sweet.

When they get there, she sees a boy with silver hair smoking outside the building, and she stops because – "His eyes look so sad," she says, and Fon, who is walking beside her, stiffens.

•••

That morning before the kids were up, Reborn let Fon in on his plans to send a young hitman after Tsuna as a test during school that day, so that he will not be alarmed at the presence of Mafiosi at the school. Fon, well used to Reborn's eccentric teaching methods, leaves him to it.

That is, until they reach the school and he finds out it is another _storm_. Normally he would not be threatened, this boy is so far beneath him in skill that he might as well be an insect. But he is a newly bonded storm Guardian, and Sorako, who the previous night had admitted to instinctually reaching for them because she felt their deeply hidden pain, says "His eyes look so sad,".

Fon is not often susceptible to his baser instincts but he is hit with a feeling of possessiveness so strong he abandons propriety and grabs Sorako's hand, his eyes narrowing dangerously in the direction of one Smokin' Bomb Hayato. It is not unheard of to have two Guardians of the same flame but Sorako is _his_ and he refuses to share her with this _whelp_ of a boy that is clearly not worthy of her. But what if that is what she wants?

So he asks stiffly "Sora-hime. Are you going to reach for him?" and does not meet her eyes. He can practically feel her surprise and this allows him to relax a bit, finally looking up into her shocked face.

She turns serious, far more serious than an eight year old has any right to be, and clasps the hand holding hers tightly. "Fon-san. No, I don't want to reach for him. _You_ are my storm. No one can take your place." She says with such iron clad certainty that, on the inside, he sags in relief. He chest feels warm and it's not even due to her flames.

"Sora-hime, please call me Fon," he says instead of the thousand other things he wants to say.

"Fon, then," she smiles.

Later when she is in class he corners Reborn.

"You did not tell me you were bringing another storm here," he states accusingly. Reborn has the gall to tilt his fedora down and smirk.

"Oh ho, is Fon jealous?"

Fon narrows his eyes and refuses to dignify that with a response.

When Tsunayoshi drags the young hitman to his house with the beginnings of a fledgling bond evident between them, thus eliminating any possible threat, Fon grudgingly decides that Reborn will live to see another day.

•••

 **A/N:** You can thank Fire Dolphin for the quick update, I already had this chapter written so when they asked for Fon I was like, might as well just post it now in between classes xD But really, thank you so much to _everyone_ who took the time to review. I wasn't really expecting reviews (or at least not positive ones xD) so it was a nice surprise.


	5. Shamal

**Chapter 4: Shamal**

Sorako hears about it afterwards, how Tsuna saved Yamamoto's life. She is torn between the pride she feels for her brother and the sheer anger she feels at Yamamoto, who she was only superficially aware of before this incident. To throw away your life over something as banal as _baseball_. Especially when a broken arm would heal! She'd had to give up _her_ very life to save thousands, to save her friends and countless innocents from the tyranny of Voldemort. Her parents had _sacrificed_ themselves to _protect_ _her,_ her friends had fought and died for a _cause_. To have someone willing to throw something so precious away like that, when there were people who cared about you, when there was _no need_ to, when all it would cause was suffering…

Tsuna brought him to dinner that night and she tried to be polite, she really tried. If this was to be her brother's new friend, and even what looked like his future Guardian – and how was this fool supposed to be a _Guardian?_ – she needed to have a good relationship with him. But her temper when roused was not so easy to smother and she couldn't keep from glaring daggers at the thick-headed boy every so often as she seethed over her meal.

Tsuna kept a wary, confused eye on her as he ate, but he knew better than to disturb her when she was like this lest he face her ire. But… she could feel Reborn and Fon's concerned and questioning glances without even looking and suddenly she was slightly ashamed of her behavior. She reassuringly wrapped their bonds in her warmth – no, flames, she had to get used to calling them flames – because there was no reason to worry her Guardians unnecessarily like this when these were her own personal demons.

So, "Mama, may I be excused?" Sorako asks stiffly, hoping for some time to settle her emotions.

"Ara, Sora-chan, but you haven't finished your dinner?" Nana replies curiously.

"I'm not hungry," Sorako mutters, glancing away from Yamamoto's stupidly smiling face.

"Oh… I suppose it's fine then," Nana replied hesitantly. Sorako pushes back her chair and flashes a quick reassuring smile at her Guardians and hopes it doesn't come out as a grimace, before leaving for her room. She should've known they'd follow her.

She is laying on her bed hugging her pillow when they arrive – and she is absolutely _not_ brooding no matter how prone she'd been to such things as Harry. They climb in next to her on opposite sides and sit cross legged on top of her blanket. They were tiny enough to do so while still leaving her some personal space. She appreciated it.

And then… they _stare_. Well, Reborn stares. Expectantly. Reborn really was direct, wasn't he? Fon is looking off to the side at nothing in particular because apparently he prefers a subtler approach. He is still practically oozing concern despite his serene appearance, however. So maybe not thatsubtle after all. Sorako huffs slightly in exasperation, feeling her anger deflate under the genuine worry her Guardians seem to have due to her unusually altered mood. She stays silent for a minute before,

"There are more important things to die for… I don't understand." She mumbles it plaintively into her pillow but they seem to hear her anyway.

•••

Reborn shares a glance with Fon, because there is a look in Sorako's eyes – a _tone_ in her voice – that speaks of _knowledge,_ of _experience_. She seems… haunted. It is clear that it is not just childish naivete behind her words. But what could Sorako possibly know about such things as dying for something "important"? What made her sound as if she knew intimately of what she spoke?

There were no records of any tragedy in the girl's past, not even of a relative, friend – or hell, even a pet – passing away, which is how most children became acquainted with the reality of death. Though, God knows the files he has on her were not guaranteed to be completely accurate. Not when information was such a commodity in the mafia that it was selectively gathered and hoarded, with only what the gatherer _chose_ to reveal becoming known.

Sorako was saturating the room with the presence of her flames, as inexperienced flame users tended to do when in a state of high emotion or turmoil, and even though the feel of them was as comforting to him as always, he was certainly _not_ comforted by the cause. If he ignored the flames – not an easy feat, admittedly – and concentrated on his bond hard enough, he could feel an underlying tinge of grief and that was both alarming to him considering the subject matter they were discussing, and an affront to his Guardian instincts because he should be able to _fix it._

Unfortunately, without knowing the cause, he couldn't and that set his teeth on edge. He wants to demand an answer as to what had happened to make her feel like this – and hopefully the answer includes something or someone he could go kill because his sky emanating such pain makes him want to burn the world down – but he does not. He is the World's Greatest after all, he knows when to push and when not to. He is sure Fon has followed a similar line of thought as the Chinese man subtly shakes his head, but with a hard glint in his eyes. Reborn knows he must look the same. Because they may not know now, but they will _find out._ And if need be… someone will pay.

He wants to reassure his sky, but his instincts indicate that she is clearly not in a talking mood, so all he can do is wrap her in his flames and hope it brings her some small measure of comfort as hers do for him. He is fairly sure Fon is doing the same on his end. Though the turbulent emotions do not leave Sorako's eyes, she does relax minutely. She says nothing else, but eventually falls into a deep sleep as they watch. Reborn settles in next to her on his usual side with an uncharacteristically troubled heart.

•••

Tsuna knows he is not the brightest bulb in the box. He has come to realize that many important things tend to go right over his head, and often he doesn't notice it until much later, if at all. Usually Sorako is the one to point such things out to him, actually. She always has been sharp as a tack.

But even he knows Reborn is _not_ a normal baby as soon as he meets him. Normal babies do not attack you out of nowhere, nor do they claim to be hitmen, nor do they have a _magical transforming chameleon_ , seriously, what the hell?! Even not-so-normal babies didn't do any of that (Sorako had been a bit of a strange baby, he remembers, but nothing like _this_ ). But he never would've guessed about such things as the mafia and flames had he not been explicitly told. He actually hadn't believed any of it until he'd been shot and caught on fire – an occurrence that was becoming much too frequent lately. But with that kind of evidence, how could he _not_ believe it? Even he wasn't dense enough to overlook something staring him right in the face.

The first thing he'd internally vowed was that Sorako could _never know_. She may be a genius but he was her big brother. He may have no plans to become a mafia boss in the end, but as the delusional Reborn was clearly not going anywhere any time soon, he had to make sure none of this mess _touched_ his baby sister until he could get rid of him. Thankfully Reborn hadn't seemed the least bit interested in Sorako. Then, after the most embarrassing day of his life – confessing to Kyoko-chan in his underwear, he'd never been more mortified! – he'd come home to the hitman sat at his unconscious sister's bedside and almost had a heart attack.

Firstly, his sister was unconscious and that was not normal. She'd always been very healthy and physically active, to see her pale and motionless in her bed like that had worried him like nothing else. Secondly, Reborn was in his sister's room, and he didn't want that demon-baby anywhere _near_ his sister! If he hadn't somehow just… _known_ that she would be fine, hadn't _known_ that Reborn wasn't going to hurt her, he may have done something stupid. But he did know, somehow. So he let it be. Also Reborn kept attacking him every time he tried to check up on her and that hurt!

He was happy when he came home to find her awake, finally, but after that… she and Reborn were always around each other. And the baby was so _nice_ to her. It was disturbing. When they weren't around each other, a new weird-baby named Fon was always with her! He was grateful that Fon seemed to mostly ignore him and didn't derive pleasure from his misery like Reborn did, but seriously, where were these weird babies coming from?! ("Mama, you can't just let weird people into the house like that!" "Ara, but Tsuna-kun, he's Reborn-chan's friend!" "That's even worse!")

One day he'd gotten up the courage to confront Reborn, because the amount of time the baby spent with his sister was suspicious and troubling. He'd thought maybe the hitman was going to try to drag Sorako into the mafia too, so he'd made him promise to never tell her about it.

Actually, it had gone more like:

" _Reborn, you can't tell Sora-chan about the mafia no matter what!" Tsuna had blurted one night during a torture session._

BAM!

" _Oh, you think you can tell me what to do, Dame-Tsuna?" Reborn had said casually,_ dangerously _, nonchalantly swinging his Leon-mallet to and fro._

 _Tsuna had cringed from where he was plastered to the wall, clutching his aching head. Before he could say something else stupid though, Reborn continued with an amused glint in his beady demon eyes, "Hm, if you do everything I say, I suppose I won't_ have _to…" Tsuna had sagged with relief – that was one problem taken care of. Even if he was being blackmailed. He really hadn't expected less, if he was honest._

Anyway, after that, he hadn't been so worried. He'd even made some new friends – two! So his life wasn't all bad. He's never had friends before, after all, aside from his sister. But she kind of has to love him so that's different.

More and more strange people start to flood into his life, after that. First, there is a five-year old hitman… dressed as a cow. That has a time-travel bazooka. Then, there is Bianchi, Gokudera's sister, who at first tries to kill him with her poison-cooking. Miura Haru is an eccentric, baby-loving girl that develops a crush on him, much to his consternation. I-Pin is a little near-sighted girl who explodes. He meets Kyoko-chan's older brother, Sasagawa Ryohei, and for some reason Reborn will not let the older boy _near_ Sora-chan until Tsuna has become friends with him. He has more contact with Hibari-senpai than he has _ever_ wanted, but aside from that… his life is fuller than it has ever been and things are going well.

Until he's told he's going to die.

•••

Sorako is relaxing one day, drinking tea with Fon (he was not a heathen like Reborn who refused to partake in her stash of tea and instead drank only _coffee_ ). It is right after her martial arts practice – funnily enough, Fon had been personally insulted by the "amateur" that she'd been learning from and had taken over her teaching as soon as he'd learned of her interest in the subject – when she hears her brother screech from the other room,

"Hieeee, I'm going to die?!"

She ignores it because her brother has always been prone to histrionics, and once thought he was going to die because he'd gotten a bee sting, when he already knew he wasn't even allergic to bees. Only her brother.

She sees Fon raise his eyebrows slightly as he inquires, "You are not worried, Sora-hime?"

She blinks, because Fon usually ignores her brother's dramatics too, "No? Should I be?"

It is then that Fon informs her of the effects of overuse of the Dying Will Bullet – a fatal disease called Skullitis that spouts the infected party's most humiliating secrets until they die. It sounds like something straight out of the Wizarding World, it is so nonsensical. She blinks again.

"Oh."

"Oh? You truly are not worried for your brother's life?" Fon asks. She can guess his thoughts, that to not be worried for Tsuna when his life is in danger is very unlike her. But _Reborn_ is the one who shot Tsuna with the bullets in the first place, and even if only for her sake she knows that,

"Reborn won't let Tsuna-nii die." She says, and takes another sip of tea.

"Ah… I suppose you're right," Fon replies bemusedly, and sips his tea as well.

•••

She says it so simply, Fon thinks. "Reborn won't let Tsuna-nii die." Then she sips her tea – an English blend that she seems to prefer; he will have to have her try some from his homeland one day – as if nothing is wrong.

"Ah… I suppose you're right," He says and is mystified by the innate trust Sorako seems to have in them as her Guardians. This is not the first time she's alluded to it. He has known Reborn a long time, and knows that the hitman would have a plan in place in an occasion such as this, but Sorako does _not_ and she trusts in him anyway.

He is fairly sure that even for those with a Guardian bond, that was not normal. Just because a bond is formed does not mean that trust is also – trust grows with time. He wonders how Sorako can have the faith that she does in men such as Reborn and he, but he is thankful nevertheless.

He basks in it for a moment, but then informs Sorako of Reborn's plan,

"Reborn has called in an associate of his, a man by the name of Trident Shamal. He is an elite assassin, but also one of the world's most talented doctors. He will be able to cure Tsuna. He should be here shortly. As your mother is out, I will greet him."

There would be plenty of time to intimidate the man a bit before he entered Sorako's vicinity.

Or there would have been, had Sorako not insisted on accompanying him to the door to meet the man that would save her brother.

•••

Shamal had been in pursuit of a particularly attractive Russian woman when Reborn summoned him. He would have refused, but he preferred all his limbs still attached, thank you. One does not simply refuse _Reborn_.

He arrives in Japan amidst a plane of angry women – honestly, he thought he'd been perfectly charming, but sometimes there was no accounting for taste – and arrives at the quaint little house in Namimori with little fanfare.

He knocks, and expects Sawada Nana to open the door – the Young Lion of the Vongola's lovely but ditzy wife – but instead the door cracks only just enough for him to be met with the serenely smiling visage of Fon. The storm Arcobaleno.

What.

"Trident Shamal. Hello. I hear Reborn is expecting you." And there is a definite threat of death in his voice. Shamal gulps, because for some reason the strongest storm in the world is threatening him – he didn't even do anything! – and he does not want die via disintegration. Or at all. Why is Fon even here! This was _not_ in his information, damn that Reborn! It's always Reborn's fault!

There is a sudden small huff from behind the door, and he hears a soft lilting child's voice say, "Mou, Fon, stop being scary."

He swears he sees the Arcobaleno pout – _pout_ – before the door is opened fully and then he sees her. This must be Iemitsu's youngest, he thinks, a tiny, adorable little blonde girl with the most captivating orange eyes he's ever seen. It is as he meets those eyes that he feels it – a veritable _mountain_ of sky flames that come pouring from her in a rush, straight at him, _reaching_. He has never felt the need to be tied to a sky before he feels those flames reaching for him. But now, now he can think of nothing else but finally finding Harmony. So he reaches back, Fon already forgotten, mist flames surging from him so strongly that the air around them becomes hazy.

And then he is _home_.

•••

 **A/N:** Thank you so much for the reviews everyone! So nice to see those after class which was _grueling_ today. Also, I just noticed the respond to review button, derp, so I'll responding to reviews and answering questions in a bit. To answer one of the most _prevalent_ questions I received, though:

 **Will Sorako be bonding with the rest of the Arcobaleno?**

Yes, unless something drastic happens to make me change my mind. You may be scratching your head about Shamal, but as I said, it's not unheard of for one sky to have more than one of one type of guardian. Whether the said guardians will be happy about it is another story. Cackle. (I have a special plan for Viper in particular, but you'll have to wait to find out what happens.)


	6. Fuuta

**Chapter 5: Fuuta**

Fon is in front of her in the blink of an eye, disintegrating the mist flames in the air with nary a thought. He takes up a defensive stance, but does not attack, because one of two things happened just now – Trident Shamal either just tried to attack Sorako or they _bonded._ As attacking Sorako in the presence of Fon would be the height of stupidity – and you don't stay alive as long as Shamal has in this business by being stupid – Fon has an inkling that it is the latter. Better to be safe than sorry, however, so he awaits Sorako's instructions. He senses Reborn appearing at his side – the man must have felt the surge of flames from upstairs – but does not let his gaze waver from the potential threat in front of him.

He sees Reborn cock his gun from the corner of his eye, but knows the hitman will not shoot until he has taken stock of the situation. The close call in almost killing Fon – one of Sorako's bonded Guardians – has done much to dampen his shoot first ask questions later, or never, impulses.

He feels Sorako move, and she puts a hand on each of their shoulders. "It's okay," she says softly, "I'm sorry for scaring you," He hears a smile in her voice, "This man is my Guardian now, so don't worry." Fon relaxes minutely, and Reborn does the same at his side.

So it is as he thought, Sorako and Trident Shamal now have a bond. He takes a moment to observe Shamal, who appears dazed but elated. The man is staring at Sorako in wonder, mouth parted in surprise as if he wants to say something, but it seems he cannot move past his speechlessness. Then, with a shake of his head the man's eyes clear and he pulls himself out of his stupor. Shamal's eyes move from Sorako to the hitmen in front of her, and he eyes them warily, flicking his gaze between Fon and Reborn with trepidation before he narrows his eyes, apparently putting the pieces together.

•••

"You're her Guardians," Shamal states more than asks, uncharacteristically serious. This complicates things, he thinks, tense. He knows that though he is associated with Reborn, he does not have the hitman's complete trust, not to mention Fon's, who he doesn't even know beyond reputation.

Shamal is a skilled assassin and a very strong mist, but he knows that if it comes down to it, he is outnumbered and outclassed here. If his sky's fellow Guardians decide that she would be better off without him, it is very possible that he could be separated from her. He would not be killed, because of the detrimental effects such a thing would have on the little girl, but he does not need to be dead to be parted from her. He clenches his jaw, because that _cannot happen_.

"We need to talk. Let me in." He demands, and normally _demanding_ something of Reborn would not be good for his continued health, but the hitman's demeanor is just as serious as his own, and the hitman only nods with hard eyes, stepping back to let him through the door.

They end up in the family room, Shamal settling in a squishy armchair by the entrance to the kitchen. Little Sawada Sorako pitter-patters over to the only couch in the room and sits primly, gazing at Shamal with soft eyes. Reborn and Fon sit on either side of her and they are clearly signaling a divide. The tension in the room is palpable. Sorako is the only one that seems unaffected.

There is a beat of silence before, "Shamal." Reborn says flatly, _accusingly_. Fon remains silent, apparently content to leave the situation in Reborn's hands, but the storm Arcobaleno does place a tiny hand in Sorako's pointedly. It is a bold statement from such a supposedly reserved man. _Mine_ , it says.

"Reborn." Shamal replies, before cutting to the chase, "She is my sky. I won't leave." _No matter what you say_ is left unsaid but plainly heard.

Sorako starts, eyes widening in surprise, "What? Nobody is leaving. They're not going to make you leave." Silence is her only answer and she becomes uncertain. "Right, Reborn? …Fon?" The silence continues. Shamal clenches his fists. He will not be shut out. He is her Guardian too. He expects to have to wage a verbal war, fight long and hard for the right to stay, but little Sorako surprises him. Her eyes turn steely, and she lets go of Fon's hand to stand. She moves from the couch despite Reborn's warning to "Stay here, Sora-hime."

But she doesn't listen, and walks until she is in front of him. She turns to her sun and storm and says, "Shamal is my Guardian, just like you." She continues, showing her insight into the situation, "He may be dangerous, but aren't you as well? I accept that about you. Until he does something to prove that he is dangerous _to me_ , I will accept that about him too." He does not know it, but right now she is channeling Harry – the Harry that was a leader, that led soldiers to victory through his decisions and actions. She continues once more,

"Reborn. Fon. Please, trust me." And Shamal can see how _that_ hits the Arcobaleno – _hard._ And he knows that, with that, he is not going anywhere. His little sky has quite the backbone it seems. The stiffness bleeds from his frame and he smirks. Well, he smirks on the _inside_ , no need to press his luck. Reborn has shot him for funsies before after all, no need to provoke the hitman unnecessarily. The sun seems to be able to sense his smugness though, and he looks at Shamal dangerously.

"I will trust your judgment, Sora-hime," Fon mutters, eyeing Shamal with no small amount of suspicion.

Reborn follows up with, "Alright, Sora-hime. But if he steps one toe out of line, I will string him up by his fingernails." And Shamal absolutely believes him.

Sorako laughs, her voice tinkling like bells – apparently she thinks Reborn is _joking_. But it melts the tension in the room, the heavy atmosphere falling away. She turns to face Shamal and smiles, "I'm Sorako. I know you didn't come here for me, but I'm so happy we met." And she is so _sincere_ that Shamal cannot help but flush lightly even as he grins.

"Ah, I'm lucky to have bonded with such a cute little girl!" He says without his usual leer – he's not a pedophile after all. Even he has limits, but Reborn cuts in,

"Hm, you may reconsider your feelings once you find out how much of a pervert he is, Sora-hime,"

"Yes, I too have heard of Trident Shamal's depraved tendencies," Fon chimes in. And why are they ganging up on him!? This is not fair!

"Don't worry, Sora-hime. If he tries anything I will remove his favorite appendage," Reborn says darkly and Shamal gulps.

Sorako laughs again – _why_ does she think Reborn is _joking_? Doesn't she know that Reborn is a demon in human form, he would not hesitate to follow through on his many, many threats – before she settles down and asks,

"So you can help my brother?" She looks at him hopefully before what she said registers,

"Brother?" He asks with a grimace.

"I don't treat men." He states, but those wide orange eyes are staring at him. And they're so big and expectant and immediately he folds like a wet paper towel. "…usually." He mumbles, resigned.

He hears Reborn snort and knows he will not live this down, caving in to a tiny baby sky with just one look.

He grudgingly cures her brother, and then preens under her obvious gratitude.

Later that night, he tries to climb into her bed – and not in a creepy way, either! She was about twenty years too young for him for God's sake – because if Reborn and Fon get to sleep with her he should be able to get cuddles too! Reborn shoots him – thankfully with a rubber bullet, he probably doesn't want Sorako to see all that blood – and Fon, who he'd heard was about as Inverted as a storm could get and was notoriously level-headed and tranquil, drop kicks him in the head. Sorako chides them for it but Shamal doesn't hear because he spends the rest of the night unconscious on the floor. Sorako kindly gets him a blanket.

•••

Tsuna comes home one day to a yard full of black-suited men. He is immediately concerned, and knows that somehow this must be Reborn's fault.

He meets Dino, and thinks the man is probably one of the coolest people he's encountered, being a mafia boss aside. That impression is later altered when none of Dino's men are around and he becomes a klutz just like Tsuna! Tsuna identifies with him more after that. He really does like the man.

Until his sister arrives. She comes through the door followed by Fon and Shamal who is laden with groceries. Oh, it looked like his sister was in a cooking mood. His stomach grumbled in anticipation – Sorako's food was _heavenly._ Secretly he thought she was a better cook than even their mama, though he would never say so aloud.

Dino stays for dinner, and seems fascinated by Sorako. He pays _entirely_ too much attention to her, much to Tsuna's consternation. He rhapsodizes about the food, to the point that he makes Sorako blush in flattered embarrassment. He asks all about her – how is school, what's her favorite color, what does she think of the current political situation in Japan, would she ever like to ride a horse? Maybe during a visit to Italy? He just so happens to own a ranch, perhaps she'd like to see it? Tsuna starts to seethe. Dino needs to _back off_ and leave his baby sister _alone_. What's up with all this interest, anyway? Maybe Dino was a _creep_.

In the end Tsuna decides that his initial impression couldn't have been more wrong – he does not like Dino at all. The man needs to go.

•••

Sorako watches as Tsuna winds tighter and tighter during dinner. He glares daggers at Dino, who she'd been informed was Reborn's old student. She couldn't figure out the cause of Tsuna's obvious dislike as the man was perfectly pleasant, if not a little too nosy. She sees the smirks on Reborn and Shamal's faces, and even the subtle amusement on Fon's, and knows she is missing something.

Later that night, she asks about it.

"Dino is courting you." Reborn says, and she is alarmed because,

"I'm only eight years old!" She squeaks. Reborn snorts, and Fon huffs a laugh. Shamal breaks out into full-bellied laughter from his futon.

"Not like that, Sora-hime," Reborn comments dryly. She blushes bright red in mortification and hides her face in her pillow.

"Well then, how?" She asks, the question slightly muffled.

"He sees potential in you, and as you are not officially part of the Vongola, he seems to have decided to try to court you into his famiglia," Fon clarifies.

"Your brother considers you his, so he subconsciously felt threatened by another person encroaching on his territory – as if to take his place. That it was another sky didn't help," Shamal adds.

"Hm, skies are a bit strange when it comes to other skies," Reborn says. "They either soothe or scorch each other, as the saying goes. Either they get along well, or they form a bitter rivalry."

"I didn't think skies could bond with skies," Sorako murmurs questioningly.

"Not as such, no. But sky flames are inherently possessive – this bleeds into the personality of the flame user, and even without a bond, if a sky considers you his then their flames will react accordingly. In this case, that is what caused Tsuna's agitation. He went from getting along with Dino to forming a rivalry, over you." Reborn lectures, much to her dismay.

Tsuna sticks close to her the following days while Dino visits. His ire is tangible, and he is uncharacteristically aggressive. Dino appears to have better control of himself, but even he has thrown a few frowns in Tsuna's direction when he thought she wasn't looking. Eventually, the older blonde has to return to Italy, and Tsuna's clinginess abates.

•••

Tsuna is glad when Dino finally scrams, and he finally feels like he can calm down. He's been spending a lot of time with his sister lately, and it makes him realize that after Reborn had shown up, and more people started to flood into his life, he'd been neglecting his sister. He vows to spend more time with her from now on, though maybe not as much as he had been lately. That episode while Dino was around had maybe been a _little_ excessive and he winces as he remembers one example.

 _Tsuna is sitting with his sister on the couch while they watch one of his favorite anime, when Dino arrives. Dino sits next to Sorako and starts to playfully flick her hair around, commenting on how nice it was and how with that shade of blonde he looked even more like her brother than Tsuna did._

 _Tsuna breathes deeply through his nose, trying to control his temper, before he turns and plucks Sorako from her spot in the middle of the couch. She is a bit like a doll and easy to move around. He deposits her on his lap and wraps his arms around her in a hug, shooting a dark side-eye at Dino, "She doesn't like that," he snaps, tightening his hold. Sorako rolls her eyes but gets comfortable, shooting an apologetic look at Dino with a shrug._

So, he was glad Dino was gone, and things went back to normal. Sort of. That perverted doctor took up the position of the school nurse, though he only treated the girls that came in. He was staying at the house now, too, and was constantly hitting on his mother – it went straight over her head – and Bianchi – who only had eyes for Reborn.

Then, a little boy named Fuuta shows up, bringing nothing but trouble. But in the end things get sorted out and one more person is added to the household. Now if only the brat would stop blushing every time his sister came near! Boys should not be allowed near her, she was too cute, he decides.

•••

Fuuta de la Stella, the Ranking Prince, does not bond with Sorako immediately. He is not damaged enough for her flames to reach out for him instinctively, is what Fon tells him later when he takes him aside one day. Instead, he follows a more traditional approach, and gets to know her. He can tell her Guardians know exactly what he is doing, but they don't interfere, presumably letting Sorako make the decision in the end. He hopes that she will find him to be a good companion, and that she will see his potential as a lightning Guardian. He desperately wishes for Harmony and not just because she is ranked number one strongest sky in the mafia. Instead, it is because she is also number one in not caring about his ranking ability.

At least, that is why he wants her as his sky _at first_. As he gets to know her, he becomes infatuated. She is compassion wrapped in empathy covered in kindness. He sees her take care of her Guardians, her family, sees the love she has for them, and wants that for himself. Also, and though this has nothing to do with his decision, he can't help but notice that she's beautiful and he blushes every time he thinks that.

When he thinks enough time has passed, he nervously reaches for her, scared of Rejection. Though she is startled and surprised, she doesn't fail to reach back. When they harmonize, his flames leap from him and tangle with hers in a tornado of acceptance and it is _peace_ and _home_ and _Iwillacceptyou Iwilltakecareofyou Youwon'teverbealoneagain_ and he is astonished. He thinks he wouldn't mind ranking for her so much after all.

•••

 **A/N:** As always, thank you so much for the reviews, they made my day! I've been responding to those with questions via the respond to review button, so if you do have questions, be sure to ask! If you have ideas or want to see a scene that I skimmed over or want to see a scene from another perspective than the one I wrote (say, you want to know what Fon was thinking when Fuuta tried to woo Sorako for instance), then let me know. I'm going to start a "deleted scenes" fic when I get time, for things that I can't fit in the main fic. Anyway, finally we're past the Daily Life Arc. Kokuyo Arc is next, I'm so excited!


	7. Verde

Inspiration for the flame conducive material in this chapter came from **Araceil's fic Brightly Burning** , mine works a bit differently than hers I think but that's where I got the idea, so credit where credit is due. (Go read it, it's great!)

 **Chapter 6: Verde**

Sorako turns nine and is convinced her Guardians have lost their collective minds. Her birthdays usually consist of a nice dinner at home, a small homemade birthday cake and a present from her mother and brother. She still stays up the night before until midnight, a habit she can't seem to break even in this happy life where she doesn't have to celebrate alone.

She tells her Guardians of her birthday traditions, how a nice dinner with her family is all she really wants. This time around she expects more food – because there are many more people around this year, obviously – a bigger cake, and most likely a few more presents. Well. She does get all that, but to such an extreme that she is honestly dumbfounded, and she's experienced the enthusiasm of _house-elves_.

For dinner, they rent out an _entire_ restaurant. It is so fancy that her mother is forced to buy her a new dress, not that Nana ever feels _forced_ when there is an occasion to dress her adorable daughter up. It is a western restaurant and there are so many forks and knives and plates that if she hadn't been friends with Pureblooded Neville – who'd been so aghast at her table manners that he'd taken it upon himself to educate her – she never would've known how to use them. But she fares well and surprises her Guardians with her knowledge of etiquette throughout the ridiculous _seven course meal._

Those with their roots in the mafia have no trouble, even little Lambo who has decided to be on his best behavior because it is his "nee-chan's" birthday. She is pretty sure Reborn bribed him. Tsuna does not fare nearly as well, and acquires several new bruises for his trouble as Reborn uses his unique teaching methods to impart knowledge of proper manners to her brother.

The food is divine, though, and her Guardians have gone to such trouble that she does not complain. The cake is brought out during the dessert course and though it is ridiculously large – five tiers! What is this, a wedding? – it is _heaven on a fork_.

Tsuna gets her a fluffy, stuffed owl – he knows how she loves owls – she promptly names it Hedwig and kisses her brother's cheek in thanks, uncaring that she is embarrassing him in front of his friends. She receives presents from everyone, actually, even her brother's fledgling Guardians, mostly useful things based on her interests like books and cookware. _Her_ Guardians, however, are a little more extravagant, but thankfully have all gone in on one present so she only grumbles a little about the cost. To be truthful, she _loves_ it and the sentiment behind it makes her heart melt a little.

It is a charm bracelet, with one gleaming orange gemstone already hanging – she doesn't know much about gemstones but they inform her that it is a fire opal. Then, Reborn gives her a yellow sapphire. Fon gives her a ruby. Shamal, tanzanite. Even little Fuuta gives her a glittering emerald charm. She almost cries.

That night, they gather in her room after she has gotten ready for bed, and then they give her the gifts that were not suitable to give in front of the company at dinner.

"There's more? But, I already have this," she protests, gesturing to the glimmering bracelet on her wrist.

Reborn snorts, "You think that we would stop with just a trinket for _our_ sky's birthday, with the resources we have?" She ignores the fact that Reborn considers a several-thousand dollar bracelet a _trinket_.

Reborn's gift is a gun. A _custom_ gun, made specifically with her size and the need to keep it concealed in mind. "I will teach you how to use it, Sora-hime. It's time you learned how to protect yourself with a weapon,"

Fon apparently had a similar idea, and he presents her with a beautifully ornamented… sword hilt?

He takes it from her, and extends the blade in a flash, making her jump, "It is a retractable sword, small enough that you will be able to carry it wherever you go. Guns are limited in their uses should you run out of bullets, but with this you will always be able to defend yourself. We will add swordsmanship lessons to our training."

Shamal steps forward, holding out his hand. There is a mosquito on it.

"This," he says, "is for you." And she stares.

"You're giving me… a mosquito?"

Shamal quirks a grin, and lets the mosquito buzz it's way over to her. It lands on her arm and bites her. She twitches and valiantly resists slapping it. It flies back to Shamal, who stores it in one of his mosquito pills.

"It's a new disease I concocted. I call it Antidotonitis, from the Greek "antidoton". It boosts your immunity to poisons. There are _very_ few poisons that will be able to affect you now, and if you somehow come into contact with one that _can,_ it will move much more slowly, giving us time to find a cure."

He looks very smug and boasts "How's that for the best present?"

 _Bang!_

"Reborn, you bastard, don't shoot me!"

"Stop being an idiot, then." Reborn says and shoots him again, _Bang!_

"I didn't even say anything that time!"

 _Bang!_

Sorako giggles, but then her sleeve is tugged gently and she turns to see a blushing Fuuta. He hands her a bundle wrapped in paper, "This is for you. Happy birthday, Sora-hime," he mumbles.

She unwraps it and looks curiously a… jacket? It is very nice, a sinfully soft orange and white hoodie that is a bit oversized but would fit her well enough. But it seems a bit of an uncharacteristic gift for Fuuta as he does not seem to have much interest in clothes.

"It's flame-conducive material," Fuuta tells her. "I've laced it with lightning flames."

Shamal whistles, looking impressed, and says "Da-amn, kid,"

Reborn makes an appreciative noise and even Fon's eyebrows are raised slightly.

Sorako however, is confused. "What does that mean?" she asks.

"Flame conducive material," Reborn explains, "is a material exclusive to the mafia. Very rare, and very pricy. You activate it with your flames, and you will then be able to utilize the property of whichever flame it has been charged with. For instance, I once knew someone with gloves lined with storm flames, they disintegrated whatever they hit."

"In this case," Fon adds, "Your new jacket, once activated, will take on the property of lightning flames, thus acquiring the hardening trait. There won't be much that can pierce through that kind of defense,"

Sorako looks at the jacket, then at Fuuta, who mumbles "This way you'll be safe," and feels a rush of fondness for her Guardian. She sets the jacket on the bed and reaches over to engulf the boy in a hug, "Thank you, Fuuta" she says as Fuuta blushes brighter than ever.

She pulls back and looks at her Guardians with warm eyes, "Thank you everyone," she wraps their bonds in her flame and hopes they can feel her gratitude.

Then, after what was possibly the best birthday she's ever had, people start to go missing from school.

•••

At the first sign of trouble, Reborn urges Fuuta to do a ranking to find out the number one most likely candidate behind the disappearances. It doesn't take much – or any – convincing. They are given a name, Rokudo Mukuro. It is shortly after that that Reborn receives a missive from the Ninth. He shares the contents with his fellow Guardians and Sorako, who he would not keep such information from. The Ninth wants Tsuna to take care of the problem; it is a test. A test that, Reborn knows, could have very deadly consequences.

They go on high alert, and he hears Shamal muttering about "Damn Nono, this little game is endangering _my sky._ " Reborn can empathize. Even with the protection she has, there are unknown variables at play. Rokudo had slaughtered countless Mafiosi and evaded mafia law longer than most. If there was even a _chance_ of something happening to Sorako, they needed to be prepared.

He didn't care much for Tsuna, beyond that he was Sorako's brother and therefore must be kept safe, but the boy wasn't ready for this. He'd normally have no compunctions with throwing the boy to the wolves to see how he managed had the situation been different. But Sorako was his sky, and this changed things. He would have to handle the situation very carefully.

They come up with a plan. Fon is to stay with Sorako as much as possible, and when she is at school Shamal is to look after her. And though he does it grudgingly – because _he_ wants to be the one to protect Sorako – he prepares to watch out for Tsuna. The boy is his student, after all, he is the logical choice. He will allow the boy to fight, if need be, but he will not allow him to die. The things he does for his sky.

That leaves Fuuta, who is not truly strong enough to protect anyone at this point, Nana, and the other children. They decide that Bianchi will be enough protection for them as the group would only be without Sorako's Guardians while Sorako is at school, and though she is often underestimated, Bianchi is herself an ace assassin and would do this favor for her love, Reborn.

The plan lasts for about two days before Sorako throws a wrench in the works.

They are about to leave the house one morning – Shamal has already left for work – when Sorako freezes. "We can't leave," she says abruptly. Then she turns frightened eyes to Reborn, who is about to reassure her as to Bianchi's competence, but those eyes freeze him in place. She looks terrified and that is a look he has only ever seen once on her face – he loathes himself every time he remembers he was the one to put it there, when he shot he brother – nor does he ever want to see it again.

"What is the matter, Sora-hime?" Fon questions worriedly.

"I-I don't know. I just know we can't leave. Bianchi isn't enough."

"Sora-hime," he starts, not sure what he is going to say, but she interrupts him.

" _Please._ Something bad will happen if we're not here. I just _know_." She pleads.

And oh, he thinks as her eyes glow with sky flames, this must be the vaunted Hyper Intuition of the Vongola. So, for the first time in a long time, Reborn concedes.

They end up having to juggle protection details, but between the three of them – Shamal, Fon and he – they manage to keep up a guard rotation on Sorako, Fuuta, Tsuna, Nana _and_ the other children. He hopes it is enough.

•••

Fuuta feels _useless_ and he _hates_ it. He may be able to do rankings, but that is _all_ he can do. He can't fight like Fon or Reborn or Shamal, and because of this he is a _burden_ to his sky. They are having to separate precious resources just to keep him safe. He knows he's not a fighter at heart, even though he _would_ fight to protect Sorako. He wants to get stronger. He wants to be a better Guardian.

He ends up asking all of his fellow Guardians to train him, one at a time. But between the protection detail, Reborn training Tsuna and teaching Sorako gunmanship, and even occasionally about flame usage, Fon training Sorako in martial arts and swordsmanship, and Shamal being a lazy bastard ("My style wouldn't suit you, kid.") he is denied at every turn.

So he lugs his conspicuous Ranking Book to the bathroom one night, and makes a ranking. He ignores the floating rolls of toilet paper and focuses. Number one most likely to make him a better lightning Guardian… The Arcobaleno, Verde.

Lucky for him, he knows some people that can get in touch.

•••

Verde deigns to travel to Namimori only to sate his boundless curiosity. Both Reborn and Fon have requested his presence and that is… beyond unusual. They would not tell him what they wanted via any form of electronic communication even though his encryptions were the best in the business.

So, he arrives in short order. His informants tell him there is something strange happening within the town of Namimori, but he is not concerned. He has his own defenses, after all.

The house he approaches is… quaint. He curls his lip in disgust, already longing for the sterile shine of his lab, but knocks anyway. He is greeted briefly by Fon who then leads him to the living area with a "There is someone that wants to speak to you,"

There, he is met with Trident Shamal, Ranking Fuuta and a little blonde girl – Sawada Sorako he remembers from his files, a "prodigy" but prodigious talent is nothing new to _him_ – that he dismisses immediately. Oh, but the former two, this _is_ interesting.

Fon gestures for him to take a seat, before the storm claims the cushion next to the blonde girl. He sits, and then _she_ speaks, and the other three _defer_ to her. That is certainly unusual. As she speaks, a quiet "Thank you for coming," she appears… strained. He notices her hands curling into fists. This is getting more and more strange, he thinks even as his mind automatically tries to decode the situation.

She is eyeing the Ranking Prince worriedly, and he sees the boy start in concern. "Sora-hime?" He says, before apparently realizing the problem – before Verde does! – as understanding dawns on his face. What could the boy have noticed that Verde had not?

The child sits in contemplation for a moment, looking deep in thought, glancing from the Sawada girl to Verde and back. Then, he cracks a small, fond smile and puts a hand on the little girl's fist. "It's okay," he says softly, "You can reach for him. I know you won't care for me any less," Fon and Shamal appear startled and Verde puts the pieces together – he is genius after all. She is a sky. These are her Guardians – and that is all he manages to process before the girl sighs in relief and he is bombarded with _the_ purest sky flames he has ever stood witness to.

His flames want to escape him, want to _bond,_ want to twine with hers in a majestic dance of power. He is dazed for a moment, but then his mind clears. This is sky attraction. He has never before felt sky attraction this strong, nor has he ever found a sky that caught his interest. But _this_ sky… he wants to study her flame. To have pulled in such Guardians – and undoubtedly the not currently present Reborn as well, if he was piecing the clues together correctly… and of course he was – she is an anomaly. He ignores the fact that in his youth he had longed for a sky strong enough to pull him but eventually gave up and dedicated his life to science.

But… here is a sky that is strong enough. She would be a perfect specimen, he thinks. All of this goes through his mind in the blink of an eye, and then his flames seem to decide for him and pour from him in a torrent, the air crackling with their potency. He pointedly doesn't think about the fact that… he did not resist.

When they touch hers and combine – in the back of his mind he plans to research the phenomena further but… later – something in him that was cracked and broken _heals_. The hole he tried so hard to fill with experiments and data and numbers and statistics disappeared like it had never been there and he felt so… so _accepted_ , no longer _alone,_ so _whole_. So, this… was Harmony?

•••

 **A/N:** So a few notes. Firstly, I love you lovely reviewers and would kiss you if that wasn't creepy. **I haven't responded to the latest reviews or PMs yet because I was busy working on this chapter, but plan to respond tomorrow.** I thought you'd appreciate an update before bed instead.

I'll answer a few of the more significant questions here and also provide some info **(feel free to skip over this if you want)** such as:

 **Sorako's the strongest sky? What about Aria and Yuni?** Sorako is stronger than Aria and Yuni, but Aria has the pacifier because Sorako wasn't born at the time it was passed to her. Yuni isn't born yet in my story (hell she might not be born at all, or might be born much later. A butterfly may have flapped a wing in this universe and Aria didn't end up pregnant when she was supposed to or something, but we'll see. It will all go according to my whims really.). Like I said, _timeline, what timeline_? Actually you should be prepared for very much fucking with the timeline to be had.

 **This is by default an AU.** Already, simply because of Sorako's presence, there will be changes to the present and future alike – like Fuuta not being kidnapped by Mukuro because Sorako's Hyper Intuition basically said _hell no_ and she put her other Guardians on guard duty; or like Verde showing up obviously way before he should. These kinds of things can have long reaching impacts.

 **Will Sorako be the next sky Arcobaleno?** I've thought long and hard about this and am leaning toward yes but you'll honestly just have to wait and see because I haven't written that far yet and my moods are fickle.

 **Will Sorako's Guardians find out about her past life?** Yes.

 **Will Sorako be paired with someone?** Even though she is mentally much older, she is only physically nine here so no relationships any time soon. When she is physically older, if she can find time between all the crap that will be happening, then maybe. I have an idea as to who, but that's a secret ;)


	8. Hibari

**Chapter 7: Hibari**

Sorako knows she is running her Guardians ragged, and she feels helplessly guilty. They'd had a reasonable plan, after all, but she just had to go and screw it up. Her strange insight had acted up and she'd just _known_ that Bianchi would not be able to protect her loved ones properly, not by herself, regardless of her skill. Reborn had later informed her that this _knowing_ she'd had all her life was something called Hyper Intuition. It was a blood trait, he'd said, exclusive to the Vongola, and was not to be underestimated or ignored.

So now her Guardians were trying to keep _everyone_ safe, _all the time_ and she suddenly wished she was older again, more capable, stronger. If only she wasn't so young and small and soft, if only she was more skilled as she had been as Harry, _she_ could protect _them._ Or at least they could work together as equals.

Right now there was nothing she could do to keep her Guardians from wrapping her in cotton wool; if they could help it she knew she wouldn't be facing danger in any capacity any time soon. No matter that she wanted to hunt this Mukuro down, make him stop hurting people, eliminate the threat to everyone that was _hers_ (and he _was_ a threat to them, she _knew)_. Her saving people thing, Hermione would've said. But she was only a child now, and while she could do some things with her flames, she did not yet have the kind of mastery over them that she'd had over her magic in the end. She would be a liability.

She felt useless, to be honest, and could only throw herself into her training. Apparently Fuuta felt the same, though, as he'd taken it upon himself to make a ranking on who could help him get stronger, he'd informed her after the fact sheepishly. They coordinated with Fon and Reborn who happened to be associated with the person in question, named "Verde".

Her Guardians supplied her with a synopsis of Verde before he arrived – he was a scientist, a genius, the "Da Vinci of their time", they'd said. An invaluable resource but only interested in his experiments. It would be hard to get him to acquiesce to Fuuta's request. They were prepared to bargain, Fuuta going so far as to state that perhaps in return he would allow the scientist to study his ranking ability.

The idea clearly made him uncomfortable, so Sorako put her foot down. _She_ would convince this Verde, if need be he could study _her,_ she was anomalous in the strength of her flames as her Guardians had shared, not to mention being capable of entering Hyper Dying Will Mode at _eight_ with no training or practical knowledge of flames? (When Reborn had shared this little tidbit her Guardians had practically fallen over with shock.) She had plenty to entice Verde's curiosity with. Plus, she doubted he could be more stubborn than shewas.

Reborn chimed in that it was actually a good idea for her to manage the situation, it would give her practice in negotiating for her Famiglia not to mention that even subconsciously – though he was unsure if it would work on Verde – most people responded favorably to sky charisma.

Verde arrives a day earlier than they expect, while Reborn is out with Tsuna, but she has her other Guardians as support. She was prepared for a battle of wills as Verde entered her home. Just. Not the battle she _got._

Verde was another not-baby. She was a little startled as he had eyes just as green as hers used to be, he wore glasses similar to those she'd worn as Harry, and his hair was just as untamable, though... green. She wondered if that was what she'd looked like as a toddler. You know, minus the green.

But. He looked aloof and arrogant and dismissed her immediately. Normally her first impression would've been a bad one due to that, but her Intuition chose that moment to chime in with the fact that he was _alonebrokenfractured._ This person lived in _desolation_ , whether he admitted it or not. And her flames started to reach – _No!_ She thought, and held them back. What about _Fuuta?_ She could never replace Fuuta. What was _wrong_ with her – and her Intuition told her _youcanhaveboth youcanloveboth reachreachreachreachreach_ – she clenched her fists and ignored it. She couldn't do that to Fuuta, she thought, glancing at him worriedly. She could hold her flames back. She'd done it before.

But Fuuta – kind, selfless, caring Fuuta had looked at her with knowing eyes and after a moment's thought said "It's okay. You can reach for him. I know you won't care for me any less," And her Intuition purrs a _yesyesyes_ so she sighs in relief and lets her flames do what they want.

•••

In the dumbfounded silence that follows the meeting of their flames, Verde takes a moment to bask in his Harmony. He had studied what he could on the phenomena – but of course no element worth their salt would let him poke around their _sky_ and especially not the bond they had with said sky – but… this is _fascinating_. He has a sudden urge to spirit his little sky away from the world, preferably to his lab, where he can teach her science and introduce her to Keiman and they may seclude themselves away from the plebian masses.

How… uncharacteristic of him. What a most interesting reaction. His hands itch to pull out a notebook and take notes but there are more pressing matters to attend to. He clears his throat.

"Sawada Sorako," He starts, "Nine years old. Blood type, O. Grade, ten. Flame, sky. Guardians," he looks at the assortment of people in front of him, "Trident Shamal, assassin, mist. Fon, hitman, storm. Fuuta de la Stella, the Ranking Prince, lightning. And if the data I have just collected serves me, also Reborn, hitman, sun." He pauses,

"and... Myself. The greatest mind in the mafia. It appears I am now your Guardian." He adjusts his glasses.

"HIEEE?!" He hears from the front door. He turns to look and sees the older Sawada child blanching in shock, brown eyes glancing rapidly from person to person and mouth opening and closing much like a fish. Next to him, Reborn facepalms.

The boy then points an accusing finger at Verde. "What!" Verde snorts in contempt, ignoring the child whose intellect is clearly lacking. He turns to Sorako, "He did not know? According to my observations you have been bonded to your Guardians for weeks if not months. How very… unimpressive, for the heir to the Vongola."

The boy twitches, shaking his head and seemingly coming out of his stupor. His eyes are wide in alarm but he suddenly laughs nervously, "The-the things kids come up with," he says weakly, "Ne, Sora-chan?" he pleads. "You-you don't know anything about that… play pretend stuff, right? Guardians, flames, mafia – silly, isn't it?"

There is a beat of silence before, "Oh, Tsuna-nii," his sky says softly, "I'm sorry. I should've told you before. I know everything."

"What?" Tsuna mutters weakly, "No, that… that can't be right." He turns to Reborn suddenly, appearing to anger rapidly. "You said you wouldn't tell her!" He snarls, eyes gleaming with sky flames.

Reborn looks unconcerned. "I lied." He deadpans.

He sees Tsuna clench his fists, looking down at the ground. The boy then turns on his heel and runs up the stairs, looking frazzled and deceived. He hears a door slam.

"Oh dear," Fon mutters from the couch.

"Nice going, chibi," Shamal says to Verde. Verde ignores him. What does he care if he has just shattered an idiot boy's world view?

But then he looks at Sorako and she appears distressed, one hand reaching in Tsuna's direction. "Tsuna-nii.." he hears her murmur. And he feels an uncomfortable tightening in his chest, but he disregards it. Sentiment, utterly useless.

She gets up, looking as if to follow the boy, before she deflates and sits right back down, defeated. He… does not like such a look on her face. But he does not have anything to apologize for. He _doesn't_.

It slips out without his permission anyway. "Ah… my… apologies. I was unaware of the situation," he mumbles, looking to the side.

His sky looks back at him, he sees from the corner of his eye as her expression softens. "No, it's my fault. I should've told him before he had to find out like this," she says. …How logical she is, what a good trait to have in a sky.

She shakes her head with remorse, "He'll need to cool down. Then I'll talk to him," she says. She lets out a deep breath and continues, "For now, let's put it aside." Ah, mature, too. Advantageous. She addresses him again, "We have a lot of things to talk about it seems, Verde-san."

"Hm, yes."

In the end he agrees to help teach Fuuta, with the condition that he be able to both teach his sky whatever he so pleases and that he be able to study their bond. She does not deny him, and both his newfound Guardian instincts and his scientifically curious side are pleased.

He later arranges for his equipment and faithful alligator companion to be sent to Japan. The house he will now be staying in is less than ideal and may be filled with simpletons, but that is the price he would have to pay to stay near his sky. But… perchance he could have a lab built. Attached to Sorako's room, perhaps. His glasses gleam. Yes, that would be the perfect location. He doesn't resist gathering his notebook this time and begins to jot down his plans.

If those plans include synthesizing a gemstone in the lab – Russian Diopside is a captivating shade of green that just so happens to match his flames – with an embedded tracker, well he did notice her charm bracelet – his observational skills are exceptional after all – then that is his business. Such a thing that would enable him to know her location would merely be prudent. He pointedly does not think about the fact that he simply does not want to be left out.

•••

Sorako goes to see her brother after a dinner he did not attend. She does not bring her Guardians, because there is no need to add fuel to the fire. She knocks tentatively and is met with a sullen "Go away,"

She frowns, and knocks again, "Tsuna-nii, it's me," There is a beat of silence before a troubled looking Tsuna lets her in. She shuts the door behind herself as he walks over to his bed to sit with his head in his hands. She gingerly sits next to him.

"Tsuna-nii," she starts.

"I didn't want you involved in this," he interrupts, his voice plaintive. He pauses, " _I_ don't want to be involved in this!" He looks at her with worried eyes, "Sora-chan, you… you don't have to be a part of this crazy mess. I don't want you to be."

"Oh, Tsuna-nii," She scoots closer and lays her head on his shoulder. He automatically wraps an arm around her. "I _am_ a part of this now. Besides that, did you think I wouldn't involve myself when it's _my_ nii-chan in the thick of things? I wouldn't leave you alone."

Tsuna huffs, "I'm the big brother, _I'm_ supposed to take care of _you._ Why do you always have to look out for me?" He mumbles before continuing, "You weren't supposed to find out. This is all Reborn's fault!" He narrows his eyes and she sees the seeds of hate starting to fester in them. That… is unacceptable.

"Don't," she starts quietly, seriously, "This is what I was worried about. Don't blame Reborn, or any of my Guardians. I am the one that reached for him which is what started all of this; if you have to blame someone, blame me."

Tsuna snaps out of it, surprised. He could never blame his sister. "Sora-chan…"

"This is our world now, Tsuna-nii. You can either accept it or become bitter and sad. And I don't want that for you."

"Why… are you so mature, Sora-chan? You're only nine!" he whines, before becoming saying quietly, "I… don't want to be a mafia boss, Sora-chan."

Sorako looks up at her brother. She _knows_ this is what he is meant for. Her intuition tells her it will be a hard road, but that it will be good for him. But in the end, it is his choice – she'd always wanted a choice, but no one ever gave _her_ one, and in the end she'd died for it. So all she says is, "Whatever you choose, I will support you, Tsuna-nii."

Tsuna hugs her to him, gratitude in his eyes. "Love you, Sora-chan," he mumbles.

"Love you more," she smiles, and knows they will be okay.

Things change after that. They share information more freely, and the distance that the "secret" of the mafia had put between them closes like it had never been there. Tsuna grudgingly forgives Reborn due to his sister's puppy eyes, but still thinks the hitman is secretly a demon.

Furthermore, with Verde around her Guardians aren't spread so thin trying to keep everyone safe any longer – the scientist has implemented several technological forms of protection around the house and is able to hold down the fort while Sorako's other Guardians are out.

Then, two things happen. Tsuna's sun Guardian is attacked… and Hibari corners her.

•••

Hibari Kyoya is _furious_. The students of _his school_ have been targeted. Furthermore, members of _his_ Disciplinary Committee have shown up injured as well. He is ready to _hunt down_ the perpetrators and _bite them to death_. But to his frustration, his information network has failed him. He hits a dead end.

Then, he notices the strange behavior of his upperclassman, the tiny animal – Sawada Sorako. She is clearly aware of the situation and is keeping a watchful eye on her herbivore brother. He has not had much interaction with her since she moved up from his class, but she would still regularly leave him portions of delicious hamburger steak for lunch in an attempt to get him to go easy on her sibling. Not breaking the boy's bones, he grudgingly finds, is a worthy trade off for such expertly prepared food.

On the days she cooks for him, she usually leaves his lunch with one of his subordinates in the Disciplinary Committee's office, while he is off enforcing the school rules in the morning. His underlings will then deliver it to his desk promptly in time for lunch. This time, he takes a morning off to stake the office out, instead of punishing the sheep as he is wont to do.

She arrives at her usual time, to find him leaning against the doorway to the office, arms crossed.

"Little animal," he starts, "What do you know?"

She is as sharp as ever and knows immediately what he is speaking of. She doesn't beat around the bush, "Hibari-san," she says, clutching his bento, "There is someone attacking the students of Namimori." She eyes him with scrutiny, "You want to bring them to justice."

"Hn. You will tell me what you know," he states cooly. This is personal now, after all.

Her gaze sharpens. "This threat is beyond even you, Hibari-san. I'm not inclined to have you place yourself in unnecessary danger."

He snarls, she doubts his strength? His hands itch for his tonfas, and if it were anyone else he wouldn't hesitate to attack, but he likes this one. He has long thought that, when she is older, she will be _his_ to challenge. She may be like a small, fluffy kitten, but just like the cat she resembles, she has _teeth_ and _claws_ and is not afraid to use them. He has seen it before.

"Little animal, I won't ask you again,"

She tilts her head, a serious expression on her face. Suddenly, her eyes, for a moment, almost seem to _glow_ , and then she says, "…There are some things I can't tell you… yet. But if you want to catch the person responsible for all this trouble, perhaps we can come to an agreement," her gaze is shrewd and contemplative. He huffs. He shouldn't have expected less from the little wildcat, he supposes. He knows her tendencies, after all.

"I'm listening," he grumbles.

"I'll give you the information you want, on two conditions."

He twitches. Of course, only she would have the gall to make demands of him. He gestures for her to continue, frowning.

"Firstly, you will not go alone. Pride has no place where danger lurks. You will coordinate any attack you have planned with me, and I will have backup provided for you." He makes a "tch" noise, but allows her to continue,

"Secondly, you will look out for Tsuna-nii, because I have… let's say… a _feeling_ that he will be dragged into this," she is clearly unhappy with this thought. She waits for him to acknowledge her conditions and reluctantly he nods, clenching his jaw in irritation. She stares at him and when she appears satisfied that he is not lying, she motions in the direction of the office. They end up seated on opposite sides of his desk, and after placing his bento down she folds her hands primly on her lap and begins,

"We have recently found out from Sasagawa Ryohei that the people attacking the students are associated with Kokuyo Middle School…"

As she iterates what she knows, Hibari leans back in his seat, satisfied. He finally has the information he needs, he thinks with a bloodthirsty grin. He may not be fighting them alone – he is a man of his word, after all – but the guilty parties _will pay_. In blood. He tells the little animal that he will get in touch once he has a plan, and she smiles a genuine smile at him. He twitches again, and resists the sudden urge he has to pet her shiny blonde hair.

•••

 **A/N:** As always, thank you for the reviews! This chapter is a little slow, but lays the foundation necessary for the confrontation with Mukuro. Lol Verde just outed Sorako to poor Tsuna, too. Another necessary tidbit for things to happen in the future.

Sorry to those who wanted Hibari as Sorako's Guardian – I've gotten some messages about that. I'll say now just to prevent further disappointment/confusion – **Tsuna's Guardians from the series will still be Tsuna's Guardians in my story. Yes, that includes Mukuro.**

Also, some info; for my purposes **I've shamelessly taken Namimori Middle School and turned it into a K-12 school** , for those who may be confused as to why Sorako (who is in grade ten) still attends the same school as everyone else. I don't really care if people hate that, because guess who will love it? Hibari. He gets to stay there forever! xD


	9. Chikusa

**Chapter 8: Chikusa**

Shamal, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation between his sky and the Skylark boy under the cover of mist flames, confronts Sorako during her lunch break,

"Sora-hime," He measures his words carefully, "I know we've been keeping up protection on everyone due to the current threat, but… it sounds like you want to actively pursue them now." And if she does, of course he will follow his sky, but this turn of events has taken him aback.

Sorako does not appear surprised that Shamal is aware of what transpired with Hibari that morning. Hm, surely he wasn't losing his touch? He is certain she is not yet advanced enough in her flame training that she could sense him. She must just know him _that well_. The thought warms his heart, but there are more important things to focus on right now.

Sorako's brows crease and she says "I'm not happy about it, but… my Intuition tells me that we will not escape confrontation. It's better to regroup and bring the fight to them while they do not expect it, rather than be hunted down or caught unawares."

Which is something strategic that he'd expect to hear from a seasoned mafia Boss, not from a tiny girl that has never faced significant conflict in her life. He knows she is soft-hearted, after all, and would not have expected her to even _think_ of putting her loved ones in danger. In fact, he says as much,

"You know that this could put your people in jeopardy," he states more than asks. She is smart, of course she knows.

"Shamal," she says seriously, a hard glint in her eyes, "If there was any other way, I would take it in a heartbeat. But sometimes danger is unavoidable. Sometimes," she closes her eyes, looking pained, "Sometimes, there is no other choice but to fight for your right to safety… for your very right to exist."

She opens her eyes and they shine with sky flames, "Sometimes, your loved ones will face danger, and all you can do…is trust in them to come back home to you." And she sounds so… wounded, so fragile, and her eyes are suddenly so _old_ , and somehow he knows that this is not the first time his sky has faced the reality of having to risk her loved ones. It shouldn't be possible, but clearly it _is,_ because there is _knowledge_ in those orange orbs. And he vows that whoever put that pain in her eyes – he will make them _pay_.

•••

After school that day Tsuna, Reborn, Fon, Sorako and Gokudera head into town, Shamal staying behind to tie up his nursing duties for the day. Gokudera apparently needed more supplies for his explosives, and originally was going to go alone, but Tsuna, knowing of the current threat to Namimori students insisted he accompany the young hitman. Where Tsuna went, Reborn tagged along. Sorako, who was cooking dinner that night, had felt this was a perfect opportunity to gather groceries and invited herself to come. Where _Sorako_ went, so too did Fon, and that is how Fon found himself debating the merits of ground beef versus ground turkey with his sky at the local superstore, while the boys gathered the necessary chemicals for purchase.

In the end, they decide on a mixture of both meats, beef for taste and turkey because it was healthier. As they walk out of the store, Fon shakes his head and wonders how this is his life with a small smile.

They are halfway across town on their way back home when he senses a hostile presence just as Sorako shouts, and two civilians drop dead from poisoned darts. The hotheaded Gokudera is immediately off, attacking the perpetrator with his dynamite, Tsuna stunned to stillness. Fon would have spirited Sorako away immediately, but due to his present size is rather limited in this regard, and not for the first time he loathes his current body and its restrictions. Instead, he chooses to step in front of her protectively, and observes the threat – young, skilled but not skilled enough. The fight is short and brutal – Gokuedera's opponent is using _yoyos_ of all things – but he does not interfere. His sky has not yet been threatened and it is better not to draw attention to himself and _especially_ not his sky at this juncture. Sorako is worryingly silent behind him, and he chances a look – her eyes glow with her inner flames and it is with that that he knows her Intuition is at play here.

He sees when the criminal goes down that though grievously wounded, he is not truly unconscious, but before he can share his observations the idiot baby storm has opened his mouth and acknowledged Tsuna as the future Decimo, which looks to be what the yo-yo boy wanted to know all along. The boy gets up and goes to attack Tsuna and… he feels a torrent of flames from behind him.

It is Sorako, and she has once more involuntarily entered Hyper Dying Will Mode, no doubt due to the threat on her brother's life. Hearing it from Reborn was one thing… to see it in person was shocking and mesmerizing on a whole other level. The attacker stops, apparently stunned and intrigued by this turn of events.

Then, they hear sirens in the distance, and the miscreant makes to flee, but – he cannot have that. The boy knows too much. He knows of his sky – clearly an active, _powerful_ sky – not to mention of Tsuna's identity which would put a target on Sorako's back all by itself. He moves in the blink of an eye, landing on the child's shoulders. He cleanly snaps the boy's neck just as a smoking bullet hole appears on the lad's forehead. Blood and grey matter spatter onto his face and clothes. It seems Reborn has followed his train of thought. Guns, though… so messy. There is a moment of silence before he hears Tsuna retching in the background.

Ah, what a mess.

He jumps to the ground before the body even has a chance to fall and cautiously makes his way back to Sorako. She is still and tranquil, observing the proceedings with an eerie laser focus while flames burn merrily away on her forehead. She should have passed out by now but it appears her flame training has extended the amount of time she could sustain Hyper Dying Will Mode, which if not for her age and the subsequent danger that could put her body in, he would be more impressed. As it is he worries about when she will burn out, and oh – there she goes. He catches her shoulders with bloodstained hands as Reborn keeps her skull from hitting the pavement.

•••

Reborn orders Gokudera to carry Sorako home, as Tsuna is in no state currently to care for his sister. He could care less – the boy will have to learn the realities of the mafia sooner or later. They arrive at the Sawada residence and enter the house – Shamal rising from his seat quickly in alarm. Verde, who can see them through the doorway to the kitchen is suddenly there, demanding tersely "What. Happened." as he reaches to take Sorako's pulse – of course she is alive, they would be able to feel in their bonds if she'd died – and he admits he has prayed to a god he doesn't even believe in for such a thing to _never_ happen – but seeing her pale and limp like a ragdoll is, he knows, disquieting in the extreme.

It is Fon who answers, as Reborn instructs Gokudera to take their sky to her room. Tsuna, he sees from the corner of his eye, is pale and shaky. The boy has practically collapsed onto the loveseat. They leave him there.

"There was an attack. Gokudera-kun engaged the hostile but in the end Tsunayoshi-kun was endangered. Sora-hime entered into Hyper Dying Will Mode in response." Fon iterates.

While Fon continues to inform Verde and Shamal of the goings on, they all follow Gokudera until they reach Sorako's room. Fuuta is there, idly flipping through one of Sorako's many books, and he jumps up in dismay as he sees Gokudera lay the girl on the bed.

"Sora-hime…?" he questions worriedly, and Fon repeats his explanation as they gather around the bed. Reborn disregards everyone but his sky, who he is sure has damaged her body once more. He sets about healing what he can, but knows flame exhaustion has taken hold. He lets out a breath in frustration. She has to stop doing this to him, he is not a patient man and waiting for flame exhaustion to abate will no doubt fray his nerves once again.

Even though he knows he has healed the girl perfectly, down to the tiny papercut he'd found on her finger, he grudgingly moves aside and lets Shamal and Verde conduct their own examinations, one after the other. Sometimes there is nothing to be done but to ascertain for yourself that someone is alright, he knows.

At the end of the night, the room is packed. Fon – who has changed into a new, less macabre set of clothes – and he take their respective places next to Sorako on her bed – there is something to be said for being the first Guardians to lay a claim… cuddling privileges. Fuuta is laying on the window seat, Shamal on his futon, and Verde is curled up in the cushy computer chair, typing away.

He places one tiny hand around Sorako's fingers and frowns at the lack of warmth he finds there, even though he expected it. Flame users tend to run at a higher temperature than the average person and with her flame drained as it is, she has reverted to a temperature more typical of civilians.

He is not worried about interrupting Sorako's rest, as she is out cold, so he states to the room at large, "This threat is getting out of hand. Something must be done."

"Sora-hime had a plan, which I'm sure she was going to share tonight before this… unfortunate incident cropped up," Shamal pipes in. "She was planning to send one or more of our fighters along with the Hibari boy after Mukuro and whoever he's enlisted to terrorize the students,"

Reborn sees Fon raise his eyebrows in surprise. "She is willing to take that kind of risk? I must admit I did not expect such a thing from her, she is very protective of us all,"

Shamal goes quiet for moment, before he says "She told me… that sometimes danger is unavoidable. That, sometimes all you can do is fight," he looks troubled, to Reborn's expert gaze.

"She said it as if she had first hand experience with such things," Shamal's eyebrows are furrowed, and Reborn is reminded of when Sorako spoke so intimately about death, like she knew exactly what it was she spoke of, despite having lived a comfortable, sheltered life. There are things about Sorako that simply confound him.

Verde echoes his thoughts, "How curious. Shamal, you are not one to typically misinterpret emotions. Perhaps it is not off the mark to assume our little Sora-hime has hidden depths that we are currently unaware of."

"…Yes," Shamal agrees.

A Fuuta that is valiantly trying to stay awake despite his young body's limitations chimes in sleepily, "Sora-hime is ranked number five most mysterious Mafioso…"

Reborn pauses. That is certainly something, considering the furtive nature of Mafiosi in general.

" _Fascinating_." Verde mutters, reaching for his notebook.

There is silence as they all mull over the ramifications of Fuuta's statement. Fon, who is gazing at little Sorako's unnaturally pale face, finally says, "Sora-hime… she will share her secrets when she is ready. We _all_ have our own skeletons that we would rather remain buried, do we not?"

And that was an understatement if he ever heard one. He thinks of the pacifier hanging from his neck and makes a noise in affirmation. Yes, they all have their secrets.

•••

Hibari was not one to sit on his hands when there were things that needed doing. After receiving the information from the little animal, he begins to plan.

He organizes the members of his Disciplinary Committee to go on the attack and target the small fry of the enemy group – the delinquent students of Kokuyo Middle that had been rallied by this "Mukuro". He knows there are bigger fish to worry about, but he wants to decrease the enemy ranks first and foremost.

It takes two days to work their way through the miscreants, but they triumph in the end. He knows then that it is time to coordinate with the little animal and so he waits outside her classroom at the end of the day, much to the horror of her classmates who hurry by him in fear. He snorts. Herbivores.

But the little animal does not exit the classroom – she is not there at all. He stills, mind whirring a mile a minute. At first he thinks she has been taken, much like the other students that disappeared from their school, but then he remembers her brother has been attending class like normal and that would not be the case if the littlest Sawada was missing. So he marches to the infirmary, where he knows he can gather information – the perverted Doctor hangs inappropriately around Sorako much too often for his tastes. Even outside of school – he'd checked his records and found they even lived in the same house.

He enters without knocking and asks without preamble, "Sawada Sorako. Where is she?"

Shamal pauses from where he is collecting his things to return home, and straightens, "What's it to you, kid?" he scoffs.

Hibari Kyoya is _not_ known for his patience, and a tonfa buries itself in the wall where the Doctor's head had been a moment before. He snarls. "She and I have _business_. You will tell me what has happened,"

Shamal rolls his eyes, "You're about ten years too early to try and intimidate _me_. But if it gets you out of my hair, I'll tell you. She's out sick,"

Hibari is immediately suspicious. The girl hadn't missed even _one_ day of class when she'd been in his grade. She was in absurdly good health. In addition, her stubborn personality would have her pushing her limits and attending school even if she _was_ ill, he was sure. He narrows his eyes, "I will see for myself." He leaves the perverted Doctor sputtering in the infirmary and turns on his heel, intent on traveling to the Sawada residence.

The pervert catches up to him, and gives him a hard look as they walk, "Don't crowd me." Hibari growls, but continues his trek. The Doctor seems to come to a decision and sighs, with a,

"Yeah, whatever. She'll be happy to see you, but you really need to work on that weird animal fetish you have, kid," Shamal dodges his tonfas deftly as they make their way to the little animal's home.

•••

 **A/N:** So for some reason it looked like my story and FF account had been deleted for like… an hour. It made me super sad and I had no idea why my story would be taken down (except maybe that I said the 'F' word ONCE). I emailed support and it looks like it was either a glitch or they restored it, so I'm like, phew. If something ever happens to it you should know **this story is cross-posted on AO3.**

So. I killed off Chikusa, because Sorako's Guardians don't mess around eh? xD With that we're slowly making our way through the Kokuyo Arc.


End file.
